The Mihael Factor
by SpiritCrimson11
Summary: Mihael needs an agent, Nate needs a client. It is, at once, as simple and as complicated as that. "What if this guy's the one who finally burns my reputation to the ground, L?" [Mello/Near AU]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Okay, so this is my first ever Mello/Near multichaptered fic. I've written two one-shots for them, if anyone wants, I can always upload those here. Anyway, I've had this AU idea for a very long time now, and I finally found an otp I'm into that I could write this fic for, you know? Since this is my first ever fic, please don't be too harsh. I'm going to try and keep these two as much in character as possible, but this is an AU, so not everything can be perfectly in character, either. It's all about interpretation, after all. In any case, I hope you guys decide to give this a chance

 **Disclaimer: Death Note does not belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: You aren't what I asked for**

"L, does it have to be me?" Nate River was standing in front of his boss, arms crossed, eyes showing just the slightest hint of indignation.

"Give me one good reason for it to not be you, Nate." L said. His eyes watched Nate intently. His stance was casual as he stood, leaning against his desk, hands pushed into his pockets. He was waiting for Nate to answer, more like waiting for Nate to come up with the most unconvincing of reasons. He wasn't disappointed in the slightest.

"He wears leather." Nate said, staring at L. "Leather, L." Nate knew he was being childish. He actually did not have a valid reason. He knew that, and he also knew that L knew that, too.

L smiled just a little. "Nate, you're one of my most valued employees, you know that?" Nate simply nodded in answer. Of course he knew that. "Why, then, are you giving me such a childish excuse?"

Nate didn't say anything.

"Look, Nate, as much as I value you, it's also true that you've been slacking lately."

Nate still said nothing, simply shoving his hands into his trouser pockets. He felt a sudden flash of indignation at having to wear these stupid suits. He wished he could have been dressed more comfortably. Despite being told time and again that he looked very attractive in formal attire, Nate didn't quite take a liking to it. However, in his line of work, he didn't have much of a choice. It wasn't like he couldn't wear pajamas if he really wanted to, but he knew he wouldn't be taken quite as seriously if he did.

"Nate?"

"What?" Nate finally asked, breaking his silence.

"Do you have another client in mind, if not this one?" L asked.

"I do not," Nate answered truthfully. "However, it's not like I can't find one. I do have a reputation, it should be easy enough."

L didn't dispute that. "You do have a reputation, Nate," he began, "which is why I wanted you to take this client on."

"You want my reputation tarnished, then?" Nate raised an eyebrow at L. "Why are you so insistent anyway, L? What about our Agency's policy, 'never take on a client who comes to you, because they're strugglers'? Don't we handpick our clients, to keep up our reputation?"

L sighed and stepped away from his desk, instead moving around it to the other side and sitting down on the chair. Nate observed him. He sat normally, of course, yet his posture never gave out an air of authority. If a stranger were to look at the two, they'd consider Nate to be the one with the authority. L slouched in his chair just a little bit, then pulling open a drawer in his desk, he grabbed a bar a chocolate. He glanced at it, then somehow deciding against it, put it back into the drawer and closed it. At Nate's questioning look, he simply shrugged and said, "I crave something different."

"You didn't give me an answer," Nate said, his patience waning.

"Yes, I'm aware of our Agency's policy," L began, "but I've been thinking, maybe we aren't being too fair with that policy in place."

"Are you starting to feel charitable now, L?" Nate questioned. "It's funny, because charitable is the last word I'd use to describe you."

L didn't let the slight dig affect him in the slightest. He knew Nate. He knew that, despite being one of his best employees, despite being incredibly smart, Nate had a childish side to him. L was fine with that, as long as Nate never compromised on his work. And he never did. "Besides," L continued, as if Nate hadn't said anything, "I see potential in him."

Nate's eyes widened. He did nothing to hide his surprise, an action quite contrary to what he was normally used to doing. "You see potential in him?" He repeated L's words.

L nodded, leaning over and grabbing a pen from his desk. He began fiddling with it, twirling it around with two of his fingers. "I do. He might be a struggler right now, but there's potential right there. Think of the wonders it can do to our Agency's overall reputation. We picked up a struggler and turned him into someone famous, someone incredibly sought after."

Nate continued to stare. He did admire his boss, he truly did. However, sometimes, his boss made little to no sense, now being one of those times. "You're being a bit too ambitious, L." Nate pointed out. "That man out there, he's obnoxious, he's loud, looks like he has zero control over himself emotionally and most importantly, he wears leather! He wears leather, L!"

"One, almost all artists, musicians included, are obnoxious and emotional. It's what our job depends on. Imagine if all artists were realistic and practical. Do you think there'd be need for people like us, then? Their job is to create art; our job is to sell their art to the right people." L then smiled a little. "As for your second concern, I believe that should be the least of your concerns. What he wears is his choice, really."

"With his attire, he'd never be taken seriously." Nate argued. "I will not risk my reputation for him."

"On the contrary, you can always take this as a challenge." L then got up from his chair and walked over to the door. He placed his hand on the door knob, not quite turning it. He looked at Nate and smiled. "If you can pull it off, Nate, I'll promote you. No questions asked."

"You aren't giving me a choice in this, are you?" Nate asked.

"I have given you a choice, Nate. You can pick your own client, if you can find someone. However, I'm also giving you the choice to build on your reputation. If you can pull this off, you have everything to gain." L could see the struggle in Nate's eyes, even if he thought he was being inconspicuous about it. It was one of those traits L possessed. He could read people, no matter how guarded they thought they were.

"And if I cannot pull it off? What if this guy's the one who finally burns my reputation to the ground?" Nate was just trying to be practical. He wasn't one to question his abilities, because he did truly believe in his abilities. However, when it came to this particular case, he did have his doubts.

"That's the challenge, isn't it?" L smirked. Nate frowned.

"Alright," Nate finally conceded.

"That's what I like to hear," L said. He then turned the knob and opened the door, stepping outside. Nate stood in the room for a moment longer, bracing himself mentally. He had always prided himself in his ability to have complete control over his emotions and he wasn't going to let that control slip now. This client would be no different from his previous ones. He'd worked with a couple musicians before. They had been manageable, just as easy to convince and manipulate. He'd made things work for them. He'd do the same now. He hadn't built himself a reputation for nothing, after all.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped outside the room. He saw the blond man –his client—sitting on the plush couch. As L approached the couch, Nate following close behind, the blond stood up and looked at L with a hopeful expression. He failed to acknowledge Nate's presence. Nate resisted the urge to scowl at the apparent dismissal of his presence. "So," the blond began, not moving his eyes away from L.

L remained silent for a moment, studying the blond. Nate wondered if he was perhaps reconsidering his decision. Maybe he didn't see anything in the man, after all. Then, L spoke. "We'll sign you on."

The blond grinned broadly. He looked about ready to lean forward and hug L. "However," L continued, "I won't be your agent." He glanced to his side and nodded in Nate's direction. "Nate will be your agent."

The blond finally looked at Nate. His eyes narrowed slightly. "This guy?" He asked doubtfully. "He didn't even want to entertain my presence. You expect me to believe he'll be a capable agent?"

"Nate's the best at our Agency." L answered easily. "He has the highest success record. His clients had nothing but praise for him."

"No offence," the blond said, "but I did come here for you, not him. I want you to be my Agent. I've heard you're the best in this Agency, so I'd like you to be my agent."

"Well, he's also the busiest," Nate finally spoke. "He doesn't have time to entertain small time musicians like—,"

"What Nate means," L interrupted, "is that I am, indeed, very busy. I have a client of my own, unfortunately. I do not take on two clients at one time." When he noticed the blond's expression, he sighed. "I can assure you, Nate's just as good, if not better than me. He wouldn't give you a reason to complain."

The blond nodded in resignation. "Whatever."

"I do have to get going." L said. He then looked at Nate. "Nate, he's your responsibility now." He then walked away from there, moving towards the elevator at the far end of the passageway.

Nate simply stared at the blond man in front of him, waiting for him to speak.

"So, uh," the blond began.

"I'm Nate River," Nate spoke in his professional voice, extending his hand forward. "I'll be your agent."

"Mihael Keehl," the blond brought his hand forward to shake Nate's slightly. He then pulled his hand away. "You can call me Mello, though."

"So, _Mihael_ ," Nate maintained his professional voice, "we have a few things we'll need to discuss. Please follow me."

* * *

 **A/N:** I know, I know. I'm not as brilliant as some of the other amazing MN fic writers, but yeah.

So that was it for chapter 1. I've an outline of the events for this fic, so updates shouldn't be too late. I'm going to try and stay ahead of schedule, just so I always do have an update ready. Anyway, feedback is appreciated

Love,

Rachna


	2. Chapter 2: Move First, Think Later

**A/N:** So, here's chapter 2. The only reason this update is so quick is because this has already been up on my Ao3 account, and I just want to even out the updates. So of course, chapter 3 will be put up together (which I already have ready, btw.) Also, I forgot to mention, the side pairing here is Matt/Linda.

Now, I'm not sure if these updates count as short or long, but in any case, here it is. Once again, thanks to those who're giving this fic a chance. It means a lot to me. You have no idea how much. Also, please pardon me for any errors.

 **Disclaimer:** Death Note does not belong to me.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Move First, Think Later**

Lawliet's Talent Agency, or LTA as it was famously known, was one of the best agencies in the country. It had its name associated with some of the biggest talents in the World. Their name and fame is what made them the most sought after agency. They had a reputation, and a lot of the artists needed an association with that kind of reputation.

When Mihael had entered the building, he'll admit, he did cause a bit of chaos. It wasn't like his usual outbursts, but he did walk straight up to the receptionist and demand to meet with an agent. The receptionist had calmly asked him if he'd had an appointment scheduled with anyone, to which Mihael had responded that he didn't. The receptionist had told him to schedule an appointment first and then come back. Mihael hadn't taken very lightly to that. He had snapped at the receptionist, claiming it was of utmost importance that he meet with an agent that very moment, that there had to be someone free in this huge building, that he wouldn't leave until someone did meet him. Mihael knew he was being unreasonable, but he knew how these agencies functioned. It could be days, maybe weeks before he even got an appointment. He wasn't sure he could wait that long.

It was then that Nate had happened to pass by, and the receptionist had frantically called out to him, effectively thrusting the responsibility of dealing with Mihael on to him. Nate looked at Mihael and frowned. "Do you have an appointment?" He asked.

Mihael had simply shaken his head in response. Nate's frown only deepened. "Then I'm afraid I cannot entertain you." He stated simply.

"But you seem to be free now, don't you?" Mihael questioned, crossing his arms across his chest. He studied the man for a moment before asking once more, "You aren't L, are you? The guy who heads this Agency?"

"I'm free now because I did not have an appointment scheduled for today, so it should be obvious that I do not intend to waste my free time by entertaining some unexpected visitor." Nate said. "And no, I'm not L."

Mihael tried not to lose his temper. He turned to look at the receptionist once more. "I would like to meet L."

It was Nate that answered Mihael, effectively interrupting whatever the receptionist was about to say. "That's impossible, I'm afraid. You can't just meet L. He is a busy man and he only meets the most reputed of artists."

Mihael narrowed his eyes. "I don't think that's for you to decide, considering you're not L." He addressed the receptionist once again, this time taking the time to read the name tag on her uniform. "Misa, will you please contact L for me?"

Misa looked from Nate to Mihael, not quite sure how to respond. She, however, didn't have to respond. She spotted L at the entrance and quite enthusiastically, she called out to him. "L! You're needed here!" Mihael and Nate, both, seemed to turn around in unison.

L had simply looked on in confusion as he approached them. "Yes?" He asked.

"I'm here to speak with you. I need an agent." Mihael answered.

"He doesn't have an appointment, L." Nate stated somewhat accusingly.

L stood there, studying the situation. After a moment, he asked, "What do you do?"

"I'm a musician." Mihael said.

"Are you well known?" L asked, observing the man intently. "You look rather familiar."

Mihael cringed a little at that particular question. "Well, no. I've only ever done small gigs at coffee shops and such," He admitted reluctantly. "That's kind of why I'm here, you see. I need help."

L simply nodded in response. "Ah, of course. I see."

He then looked at Nate and said, "Nate, I need to speak with you upstairs in my office." Nate gave L a confused look. He didn't, however, ask him anything. L turned to look back at Mihael. "I'd like you to follow me upstairs as well. You can wait while I discuss some things with my agent." L then turned around and walked towards the elevator, Nate and Mihael following behind him. Silently, the three men entered the elevator and just as silently, they exited once they'd reached their floor.

L walked in front of them, with Nate following close behind, while Mihael chose to maintain a certain amount of distance. He saw the two men enter through an office door and close it behind them. He noticed a red couch just ahead. He walked up to it and sat down, crossing his right leg carelessly over his left knee. He had nothing to do but wait now. He briefly thought about the fact that L hadn't even bothered to ask for his name, but he dismissed the thought just as easily. It didn't matter to Mihael, just as long as they were actually considering him a potential client.

The wait had been long, but when the two men had finally come out of the office, and L had agreed to take Mihael on as a client, Mihael knew the wait was worth it. He mentally made a note to thank Matt for pushing him to go and visit the Agency. But when L announced that it would be Nate and not L himself, who'd be his agent, Mihael couldn't help but frown. He wasn't fond of the white haired man, and he was positive that feeling was mutual between the two.

His feelings of dislike were only strengthened when Nate completely disregarded anything Mihael had said and simply turned around and walked off, expecting Mihael to follow him, like he was doing him a big favor by agreeing to be his agent. Mihael had half a mind to refuse, to consider visiting another Agency instead, but dismissed that thought. He was lucky the Agency had even agreed to sign him on, and even if it wasn't L personally, it had L's name associated to it. Mihael knew he wouldn't find a better deal anywhere else. L had even mentioned that Nate was one of their best agents, so he would just have to suck it up and deal with it. _This is the best you can get_ , Mihael reminded himself.

-x-

Nate didn't even bother to see if Mihael was following him or not as he walked ahead. He didn't care one way or another. He just wanted to get this done as quickly as he possibly could. Once he reached the end of the hallway, he stopped. He finally turned around to see if the man had followed him.

Mihael stood still, looking at him expectantly. Nate turned back around and headed left, towards a shorter hallway. His was the only cabin in this small hallway. He finally stopped in front of a black door, the words 'Nate River' etched into a steel plaque that had been put up on the door. He was one of the few employees to have their own, personalized cabin. Not as many had that luxury.

He opened the door and stepped inside, heading straight to his desk and taking a seat. He then proceeded to remove his coat and hang it on the arm of his chair.

Mihael stepped in, closing the door behind him and looked around the room. The walls were a plain white, nothing adorning them. The only thing he could see on the wall across him was a big black clock, ticking away the time. He stepped closer to the desk, which was white, he noted. Then, pulling out the chair, he sat down opposite Nate.

The two of them simply stared at each other for a long moment. The silence was starting to make Mihael uncomfortable, so in order to ease himself, he said, "You're a fan of white, huh?"

Nate raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

Mihael shrugged. "The walls, your desk, your _hair,_ it's all white."

"Walls are, by default, always white. As for my hair, it's what I was born with, not like I had a say in it. My desk, just like the walls, has always been white." Nate said simply. He then glanced at Mihael's outfit. "I see you're a fan of leather."

"Leather looks good," Mihael said somewhat defensively. "I don't have to justify my taste in clothes to you."

"I never asked you to. I was just pointing it out as an observation."

"Right, whatever," Mihael snapped. "So, what did you have to discuss?"

Nate nodded once. He opened a drawer and pulled out a stack of papers. He slowly sorted through them until he'd found what he was looking for. He pulled the paper out from the stack, and then placed the remaining stack of papers back into the drawer and shut it. Nate lifted the paper in his hand and studied it carefully, then handed it over to Mihael.

Mihael took the paper from Nate's hand and glanced over its contents. "What's this?" He asked.

"It's the official contract," Nate answered. He leaned across the desk to pull the paper out of Mihael's hand. Mihael frowned at him. "Let me just run you through it very quickly." Mihael simply raised his eyebrows in response, indicating Nate to continue. "First, it states that you agree to have me representing you, and by extension, you'll be willing to do what I ask you to, should the need arise."

"I'm not going to let you boss me around, if that's what you're getting at." Mihael argued.

Nate closed his eyes for a brief moment, trying to keep his composure. Opening his eyes, he continued, "I won't be bossing you around. As your representative, it will be my job to do whatever works best for you and your career. Is that acceptable to you?" Mihael nodded. "Second, I will receive twenty percent of your earnings as payment."

"That's how this works?" Mihael asked. "I thought I have to pay you a fixed monthly income or something."

Nate sighed. "No, that's not how it works. For every successful endeavor I manage to procure for you, I receive twenty percent of your earnings from said endeavor."

Mihael nodded in understanding. "So, if I do not manage to get a gig or something, anything that would otherwise pay me, you don't get paid either?"

"I can assure you, that situation will not arise." Nate answered simply.

"You're going to put that kind of confidence in me?" Mihael questioned, smirking slightly.

Nate looked at Mihael as though he were stupid. "No, of course not," he said. "That's the kind of confidence I'll put in _my_ abilities, not yours."

Mihael narrowed his eyes in indignation. "You're not going to be the one performing."

"Yes, but I'm going to be the one convincing people to give you a chance to actually perform." Nate said matter-of-factly. "Your talent will be of little consequence there."

"You sound like you're implying I have no talent," Mihael accused.

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Nate didn't sound apologetic in the slightest. "Right, where were we? Yes, thirdly, the contract states that I'm obligated to put in the best of my efforts to assist you. I can assure you, I give nothing but my best."

"Of course," Mihael scoffed. "You're not very modest, are you?"

Nate slid the paper across the desk towards Mihael, effectively ignoring his statement. "You're going to have to sign it, acknowledging the fact that I'm going to be your agent, and that you're okay with that."

Mihael studied the contract, reading through everything thoroughly. He could still refuse to sign. He could just get up and walk out of there. But then again, what purpose would that serve? He'd end up in the same situation he was in before he approached the agency. He'd have no leads, no contacts. He'd be stuck in an endless cycle of rejections. No, Nate was definitely his best shot now. Yes, the man seemed intolerable, but Mihael was tough. He could deal with someone like Nate. Hell, if he could put up with someone as insufferable as Matt, who was his goddamn roommate, Nate shouldn't be a problem. He took a deep breath and grabbed a pen from the stand that stood on the desk. He then proceeded to sign his name in the appropriate places. Once he was certain he hadn't missed anything, he slid the paper back to Nate.

He saw Nate grab a pen from the same stand and then proceeded to sign his own initials across the paper. Once he was done signing, he picked up an empty file on his desk and placed the paper inside it. He closed the file and then placed it back on the desk. He looked up at Mihael. "That settles the formalities."

"Right," Mihael stated. There was momentary silence as the two men considered the next course of action. Mihael wasn't sure how any of this was supposed to work, and Nate didn't look like he was going to be saying anything. When the silence became too much to bear, Mihael gave in. "So what now?"

"First, I'm going to have to gauge your talent. What is your specialty?" Nate asked.

"Well, uh, I'm not sure what you mean by that." Mihael answered truthfully.

"What sets you apart from other musicians, Mihael?"

"I play the guitar, I write my own lyrics, I compose my own music, I—,"

"Mihael, every aspiring musician does that! Is there anything you do that others do not?" Nate interrupted. He resisted the urge to sigh in exasperation.

"My songs have depth to them. I write about things that matter, things that count." Mihael said, leaning forward slightly.

"Oh, I'm sure you do. So do a million other musicians."

"What the fuck do you want me to say, then?" Mihael snapped.

Nate sighed. He shook his head slightly as he said, "Never mind. I guess I'll just need to listen to a few of your songs."

"I don't have my guitar with me right now," Mihael stated.

Nate didn't let that response bother him. "That doesn't matter. Just give me your demo CD. I'll listen to it and get back to you by tomorrow."

Mihael hesitated. He didn't have a demo CD, and the way Nate seemed to just assume he had one, it made Mihael come to the uncomfortable realization that he probably should have had one. "I don't have a demo CD." He could feel his cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

Nate shook his head and this time, he did sigh exasperatedly. "Of course you don't have one," he muttered. "I do not even want to know how you approached any studio. I'm sure it's an embarrassing tale."

Mihael grit his teeth. "Listen, I don't know how any of this works, alright? So if you could stop mocking me for once, and be of actual assistance, that would be great."

Instead of responding, Nate reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He unlocked his phone and handed it out to Mihael. "I'm going to need your contact number."

Mihael simply took the phone from Nate and entered his own number. Once he'd saved it, he handed the phone back to Nate.

"Right, I'll contact you soon." Nate leaned back in his chair. "You can leave now."

Mihael stood up abruptly, the chair making a screeching sound as he did so. "I'll wait for your call, then." He turned around and left the room.

* * *

Mihael felt conflicted as he finally entered his apartment. The lights in the living room were still on, though there was no one around. He kicked his boots off, letting them fall haphazardly on the hard wood floor. "Matt?" He called out. There was no response. He sighed and walked towards their shared room, slowly opening the door. He almost rolled his eyes at the sight that met him.

Matt sat in front of his computer screen, completely unaware to Mihael's presence. He had his headphones on and he seemed to be speaking to himself. Mihael stepped further inside and saw that Matt was, of course, playing one of his videogames. He wasn't just simply playing the videogame, no. He was adding his commentary as he played, occasionally swearing into the microphone, and then sheepishly apologizing a moment later. Mihael walked over to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

Matt jumped in his seat and turned around. On noticing Mihael, he frowned. "Mello! For fuck's sake, what have I told you about scaring me like that?" He turned around to his screen and paused the recording that was obviously still on-going.

"I simply tapped you on your shoulder. Stop overreacting." Mihael said. He then looked over Matt's shoulder at the paused game screen. "Why do you play these games, anyway? They obviously scare the crap out of you."

Matt turned around to face Mihael once more. "My viewers wanted me to play it."

"Your viewers?" Mihael asked skeptically.

"Yes, Mello, _viewers_. My subscribers, if you will." Matt clarified, moving to remove his headphones. He set them on the desk. "They love my witty commentary and superior gaming skills, you know."

"Right."

Matt studied Mihael's expression for a moment. "What's up?" He asked.

Mihael sighed and proceeded to sit down on the edge of his bed. He bent forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Today was exhausting."

"How did your meeting go?" Matt asked curiously. " _Did_ you manage to get a meeting at all?"

Mihael nodded. "Yeah, I did." Matt simply stared at him. "I met L."

Matt's face broke into a wide grin. "You're kidding! So, did you get him as your agent? Mello, this is fucking huge!"

Mihael frowned as he said, "No, Matt. I didn't get L as my agent."

"You didn't?"

"L assigned someone else to be my agent." Mihael said. "He claimed the guy's one of his best employees."

"That's still incredible, Mello! Why don't you seem happy? L personally met you, assigned one of his best employees to you. You're now associated with LTA. Why the fuck aren't we celebrating?"

"I just don't quite like the guy," Mihael answered. "He seems like a prick."

"Suck it up, Mello." Matt said, walking over to his friend and slapping him lightly on the shoulder. "It's not L, but it's probably the next best thing, you know?"

Mihael couldn't dispute that. He slowly grinned, looking up at Matt. "I think we should celebrate."

Matt matched his grin. "Let me just go grab my jacket, then."

Mihael watched as Matt rummaged around in his closet, likely searching for his favorite fur jacket. Mihael never understood Matt's apparent love for it, but it wasn't like he was in any place to comment. He himself had an obsession with anything leather. Not like he thought leather was a bad thing. He thought it looked incredible on him, fuck whatever others thought.

He felt something in his pant vibrate. It took him a moment to realize it was his phone that seemed to be causing said vibrations. With some struggle, he reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out.

He had three new messages, all from the same number. He unlocked his phone and read them, one by one.

' _Mihael, this is Nate River. Your agent, from LTA.'_

' _I need you to meet me at 9 AM tomorrow. Sharp. Don't be late.'_

' _Please bring your guitar along.'_

Just as Mihael finished reading the three messages, his phone vibrated once more. There was another new message, this time with an address. _You could have just put that all in one message_ , he thought indignantly.

"Mello, I'm ready." Matt's voice interrupted Mihael's thoughts. "Let's go?"

Mihael glanced at his phone once more. He considered replying with a simple 'OK', then thought better of it and simply stood up, pushing the phone back into his pocket once more. He had had enough of an interaction with the man for one day.

"Yeah, let's go." He said, following Matt out of the room. He didn't think Nate expected a reply from him, anyway.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, there's chapter 2. I do apologize if the pacing is kind of slow. The thing is, the pacing will have to be a little slow for a few chapters because of the plot premise. I'm also trying to be careful about keeping both of them in character, which btw, is kinda hard in AU settings. Sigh. Also, I do not have 100% knowledge on how Talent agencies and stuff function, so please just work with me here, okay? I need to take some liberties for the plot and all. Anyway, feedback is more than appreciated


	3. Chapter 3: Sing To Me

**A/N:** Okay, I know these updates have been super quick, but like I said, I wanted to even out the updates on here and on Ao3. So now both are on par. Anyway, here's chapter 3. The updates might be slower from now on, so yeah.

 **Disclaimer:** Death Note does not belong to me.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Sing To Me**

Contrary to what people believed of him, Nate did like art. He liked it as much as any other person did: on a completely superficial level. He wasn't pathetic at understanding it, not at all. He did have a creative mind. He could tell a good song apart from a bad one, or good writing from bad. He was capable of understanding art, perhaps not in the best way, but he had _some_ understanding. He just chose to keep that creativity to himself.

Nate much preferred the art of manipulating and convincing people to do as he pleased. It was why he'd taken up this particular job, as a talent agent. He liked the way he got to get into his clients' heads, subtly convincing them to do something he believed was the smart thing to do. It was always so easy to manipulate their actions. It helped him build a stronger reputation for himself, as a result.

Even if Nate wasn't fully capable of understanding their respective art forms, he was well versed with the art of manipulation. As an agent, he believed, that's what mattered most. Art, to him, was secondary. It was important, but what was more important was the ability to convince people that you had something that was worth their time. If they weren't even convinced of that, your art would mean nothing.

Of course, that wasn't to say that Nate could work with just about anyone. He always picked people with promise, much like L, his boss and mentor, did. He always had the liberty to pick his clients, based on what he believed to be valuable traits that they happened to possess. It was very rare, almost unheard of, for L to make Nate pick someone specific.

Nate let out a deep sigh as his mind brushed on that particular thought. L could be stubborn, and Nate wasn't sure anyone could understand that better than him. L always presented you with the illusion of a choice, when in reality he really wasn't giving you much of one. It was something Nate admired, yet detested in the man.

" _What do you mean he has potential, L?" Nate had asked L on the phone, once his meeting with Mihael had ended._

" _Did you sign him on or not, Nate?" L had responded instead and Nate had to resist the urge to snap at the man._

" _Yes, I did." Nate answered after a brief pause. "Still, why did you think he has potential, L? You don't even know his name."_

" _He said he's performed at small cafes, and I briefly remember seeing someone like him perform. I'd liked what I heard back then," L answered easily. "I'm not sure why I didn't approach him back then."_

" _You don't even know if they're the same person." Nate pointed out. "In any case, intuitions can work once, maybe twice. You shouldn't push your luck like that."_

" _Nate, I told you, he's someone with potential. There's nothing to lose." L said. "Misora had once signed a client on, based solely on my words."_

" _You put too much weight on your words, L." Nate said. "I'll do what I see fit. I don't think I can rely solely on your intuition."_

" _Keep me updated on him." L said and then hung up. Sometimes, Nate really didn't like L._

The buzzing of his phone broke him out of his thoughts. Nate glanced down at the device clutched in his hand. 9 A.M. It was the reminder he'd set the previous night, after he'd messaged Mihael. He looked up from the device and towards the front door. He was currently seated on his couch— _white couch_ , he added mentally— situated in the living room of his apartment.

He didn't quite expect Mihael to be on time. He took his time observing his surroundings, mentally trying to note if everything was in order or not. He did not want to invite Mihael to his apartment—no-one was ever granted that privilege except for L and Rester—but he'd had no other choice. He couldn't have Mihael playing his music in his office, and he didn't think renting out a studio made much sense, not until he'd decided for himself that Mihael was worth it.

For some reason, Nate's attention kept falling on all things white, like his furniture or his walls, or the white table cloth he'd placed on his kitchen table. He was suddenly very aware of how very white he was, not just in his own appearance, but in regards to everything around him or associated to him. _Snap out of it_ , he told himself. _It doesn't matter what one person thinks_. _White's a nice color._

He almost jumped when he heard the familiar ring of his doorbell. He slowly pushed himself off the couch, dropping his phone on it and headed for the door. He grabbed the handle and pulled it open.

Mihael stood in the entrance, staring at Nate. One hand seemed to be clutching the guitar cover's strap across his shoulder, while the other seemed to be holding on to an unopened bar of chocolate. "Hey." He said.

Nate simply nodded at the blond and stepped aside, a silent invitation for Mihael to enter.

Mihael watched as Nate walked back to his couch and sat down, hands fiddling with his phone once more. He slowly stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He looked around the living room, observing, then walked towards the sofa that was adjacent to the couch. He moved his guitar off his shoulder and sat down heavily, letting the instrument settle on his lap horizontally instead. "Right, I'm here."

"Yes, I'm aware." Nate responded.

"Nice apartment." Mihael commented lightly. He smirked when he noticed Nate's slight frown. At least his subtle dig had made it through.

"I need you to sing for me." Nate said without much of a preamble.

Mihael blinked in response. Right, of course. Nate hadn't asked him to bring his guitar for it to just sit on his lap, after all. He supposed it was the way Nate put it that made him stare. He was just so _direct_. He didn't even bother to make small talk. Not that Mihael wanted to make small talk with the man, but still. "Uh, sure," was all he could think to say.

He slowly unzipped the cover from his guitar, moving it away completely. He then lifted the guitar and positioned it in his arms, the pluck clutched between his fingers. He closed his eyes.

Nate waited for a few moments, observing the man sitting in front of him. It was another moment before he said, "Are you going to sing or not?"

Mihael's eyes snapped open and he shot a glare at Nate. "I'm trying to get into my element. Is that a problem?"

"Actually, it is. You can't have all the time in the world to get into your 'element', as you put it."

"It's just been a few seconds, stop exaggerating." Mihael said in an annoyed voice, but he closed his eyes once more. He took a deep breath, focusing his attention solely on the instrument clutched in his arms. Then, he began playing.

The music started out slow, chords being struck and strings being plucked at to create a soft, rhythmic tune. He let the music play on for a moment longer, then his voice accompanied the chords.

Mihael's voice was soft, Nate noted briefly. For as loud as he tended to sound during normal conversations, when he sang, it was a different voice altogether. Nate found that to be strange. He continued listening, however. He listened as Mihael's voice slowly changed, going deeper when he had to touch particularly low notes and then softening again when he touched the higher notes. Nate was so intent on focusing on the voice that he almost forgot to pay attention to the words. He corrected that in the next second, however.

' _I never asked for help, yet there you were, I had nothing to lose, but you did…'_

' _You're the God I thought I'd never see, you're the miracle I never thought I'd need…'_

Mihael wasn't lying about the depth in his songs, Nate noted. He continued listening until the music slowed down, Mihael's voice slowly trailing away, until he finally stopped playing. He slowly opened his eyes and stared at Nate.

"Well?" He asked when Nate didn't say anything.

Nate needed a moment to phrase his response. He had been so sure that L was wrong, that Mihael didn't really have the 'potential' L had spoken of. Yet, here he was, looking at the blond man who clearly _did_ have the talent and potential. Nate didn't like that. After a long moment, he said, "That was alright." That was actually good, and Nate didn't often use that word, but Mihael didn't need to know that.

Mihael snorted. He proceeded to zip the cover back onto his guitar, then placed it standing next to him on the sofa. He leaned forward and rested his hands on his knees, looking at Nate intently. "Come on, that was good."

Nate didn't say anything. He stood up from his seat, muttered a quick, "wait here" and headed towards his bedroom. He was back a couple of minutes later, a file clutched in his hand. Mihael recognized it as the file he'd placed their contract in the previous day. He raised his eyebrows in question.

Nate settled down on the couch once more, resting the file on his knee. He flipped it open and pulled out a sheet of paper. He studied it in his hand, sighing noticeably. He looked visibly upset about something, Mihael observed.

"Yesterday, we didn't complete all the formalities." Nate said finally.

"What do you mean?" Mihael asked, genuinely confused. "You made me sign the contract, didn't you?"

"There's more to that contract," Nate explained. "There's another part to it. I didn't tell you about it."

"You've lost me here," Mihael said, leaning back. He brought his hands up to rest behind his head. "You'll need to be clearer."

"Sometimes, L can be eccentric," Nate began, "like when he forced me to sign you on as my client. Sometimes, he just does things on a whim, without really thinking them through."

"That still doesn't explain much." Mihael commented.

Nate glared at the blond. "I'm getting to it. Anyway, I don't like to do everything L tells me to. I mean, yes, he's brilliant and he's usually not wrong, but I still wouldn't just do something because he said so. I don't like to outwardly defy him, either—,"

"Nate," Mihael cut in, "will you please just get to the damn point?"

"That contract was incomplete, which means, you still aren't officially my client." Nate said.

Mihael's eyes widened. "But you said I was your client, didn't you?"

"Technically, yes." Nate conceded. "It's just my way of defying L, you see. The contract wouldn't stand, unless the second half was signed, too. I wanted to give L the impression that I was doing as he said, but I decided to only sign you on after I'd decided for myself, if you were good or not."

"You mean you could've ditched me at any given moment, if you wanted to?" Mihael said, eyes narrowing dangerously. Nate nodded calmly. "You let me believe I have an agent, when technically, I do not?" Nate nodded once more.

"You're an asshole." Mihael hissed.

"I can understand why you'd be upset," Nate said in an attempt to placate the furious blond, "it was rather unethical of me."

"You think?" Mihael snapped. "What, now you're just going to ask me to fuck off? I'm not good enough to match your standards?"

Nate shook his head. He handed over the paper he'd been holding. When Mihael didn't make any movement, Nate sighed. "I want you to sign the other half."

Mihael eyed the man suspiciously. "Is there a third part to it?"

Nate had to resist the urge to smile at that. "No, I can assure you, there are no more hidden parts to this contract." He said.

Mihael snatched the paper from Nate's hand and took the time to study it. There wasn't much written on it. There were a few lines that seemed to be a summary of everything Mihael had read in the first half of the contract. There was, however, one line on it, printed in bold letters: _This contract will take effect once both parties have consented to it._ Below, there were two lines, where Mihael assumed they'd have to sign. "Pen," he said, bringing his free hand forward. He felt the pen being placed in his open palm a moment later. Mihael placed the paper on the coffee table in front of him. Leaning over, he opened the pen and signed his name above one of the empty lines. He handed the paper and pen back to Nate.

Mihael watched as Nate took the items from him and using the open file as support, signed his own initials. Nate slowly closed the file and placed it on the coffee table. He looked at Mihael. "I'd like to apologize, I suppose." He said.

Mihael rolled his eyes. "You suppose?" Silence. "I can forgive you, _I suppose_." He felt himself smirk, then: "So this means I do match your standards, don't I? You think I'm good, don't you?'

Nate turned his face away from Mihael. This was exactly what he hadn't wanted to admit, to begin with.

"Of course I'm good," Mihael said. "I don't actually need to hear you say it."

"Why'd you ask me then?" Nate asked, looking at the blond once more.

Mihael shrugged. "I want to make you feel uncomfortable, since admitting you were wrong about me clearly makes you uncomfortable."

Nate chose to ignore that answer. He simply looked at the blond, thoughtful. "You do still need a demo CD, you know."

"How do I do that?" Mihael asked.

The sincerity in his tone is what stopped Nate from giving him a sarcastic answer. He couldn't be mean to his client, even if said client was a little annoying and obnoxious. He obviously needed Mihael to like him enough to do as he said. Mihael, he realized, wasn't like his previous clients. He'd be tougher to push around, at the very least.

"I'll fix up an appointment with a studio. Once we get your demo CD ready, we can start from there."

* * *

"When you said you'd fix up an appointment, I thought it would be another day before we actually got one."

Nate paused at the door to the studio. "Did you really have your doubts, Mihael?" Nate didn't turn to look at his client.

"Well, getting appointments can be a little messy," Mihael commented. "I wasn't doubting you. I was just wondering, I guess."

Nate pushed open the door and entered inside, Mihael following after him. He was very aware of the weight of the guitar on his back. It felt odd to be standing in the hallway of a recording studio. He'd only been to a studio once before, when he'd felt confident enough (in retrospect, dumb enough) to actually approach one of the most successful recording labels in the country. He'd forced his way in without any prior appointment (much like he did with the LTA—he _really_ needed to stop doing that!). They hadn't been as accommodating towards his temperament as the LTA had, however. Mihael really shouldn't have been surprised when they'd forcefully asked him to leave, mostly because he'd refused to leave on his own.

He had decided he wouldn't approach any other recording studios after that, instead focusing on trying to get small gigs at local coffee shops—that had been on Matt's insistence, of course. ("You can't just mope around because you got turned down by one label! They're the best in the country. What were you expecting, Mello?")

It had been surprisingly easy to get gigs at coffee shops. Mihael had approached the owner of one of his local coffee shops—an elderly woman of about 50, he supposed—and he'd played one of his songs for her. She'd loved it so much that she made him perform thrice a week. It also helped that the coffee shop was at least well known, which in turn helped him gain a steady audience. It still was never enough, however. He wanted to make it big. Performing in small coffee shops was nice, because it got him paid, but it wasn't what Mihael wanted. He wanted to be nationally known, or if he was being too ambitious, internationally known.

"Mihael?"

Mihael snapped out of his thoughts. He was standing still in the middle of the hallway, staring blankly at the back of Nate's head. Well, he was, anyway. Now he was looking straight at Nate's face. He had a confused expression on his face.

"What?" Mihael finally managed to speak. It was awkward, standing in the middle of the hallway, staring at Nate like that. He glanced around him, noticing for the first time the receptionist's desk to his left. The man was simply looking at him with an awkward smile. Mihael turned his face away.

"Why are you standing in the middle of the hallway, staring at me?" Nate asked.

"I…," Mihael didn't like the way Nate put it. He wasn't staring at Nate. He was thinking, for God's sake. It wasn't his fault that Nate happened to be standing in his line of vision. "I wasn't staring at you, Nate. Get over yourself. I was just thinking."

"And that's why you stopped walking?"

"Don't you need to check with the receptionist first? About our appointment?" Mihael asked. He glanced at the man to his left once more.

Nate followed Mihael's look and shook his head. "Not necessary. I've already spoken to the owner. He asked us to walk right in. The studio's free for the next few hours, anyway."

Mihael wondered, briefly, if the studio was already free, or if Nate had somehow pulled some strings and asked the owner to ensure the studio was free when they arrived. He decided it didn't matter. He just needed to get his work done. "Lead the way, then." He said.

Nate nodded and turned around once more, walking ahead. Mihael followed quietly after him. They came to a halt in front of a set of glass doors. Nate pushed them open and walked inside. Mihael found it strange, the way Nate just entered without even knocking first. He walked in as though he owned the place. _Maybe he does_ , Mihael thought. _Maybe LTA has a tie-up with this studio._

This was the first time Mihael was actually inside a studio. He took his time to observe it. It wasn't necessarily big, nor did it have an abundance of equipment. There was just the bare minimum. The control room itself was small, with the recording console and two pairs of headphones. There was, however, just one chair situated in front of it. There were a few instruments pushed up against one side. He could make out a guitar, drums and a bass, possibly. He noticed the glass screen that allowed a peek into the actual recording booth, where the musicians actually recorded their voices. He didn't know much about recording studios, but he did know that they were made up of completely soundproof walls. At least, they were supposed to. He couldn't be sure about this one, however.

"Ah, Nate!"

The unexpected voice made both, Mihael and Nate, turn around and look at the door.

A man stood in the door way, a wide smile on his face. He looked much older than the two of them, but he still had a certain youthful handsomeness to him. His blond hair fell messily around his head, light stubble on his face.

"Aiber." Nate greeted with a nod. "Thank you for agreeing. I admit, it was rather short notice."

Aiber laughed. "Don't thank me, Nate! LTA is the only agency that seems to be giving us any business anymore. People hardly come to us for making demos anymore." He pointed to his recording console. "We don't have the best equipment, you see."

Nate forced a smile to his face. "I'm sure that's not true. You're still good for what you do."

Aiber let out another laugh and walked up to the chair. He sat down and looked at Nate. "You're just being nice." He then looked at the console in front of him, fiddling around with some of the knobs.

"I'm pretty sure nice isn't a word I'd use to describe him," Mihael finally spoke after having observed the exchange silently. Aiber looked at him for the first time since he entered. Mihael simply smiled. "I'm Mihael. You can call me Mello, though."

Aiber studied the blond curiously. He noticed Mihael's long blond hair and grinned. "I like your hair." He then glanced at Nate. "He's your client?"

Nate nodded.

"He doesn't look like your usual type, though." Aiber said, still studying Mihael's appearance. "You like leather?" He asked Mihael.

Mihael tried not to feel offended. It wasn't like Aiber was insulting his clothing choice. It was just a simple question. There was no reason to get defensive. "Yeah, I like it."

"You'd get along perfectly with this friend of mine, then. Well, she ain't exactly a friend. She just frequents here a lot." Aiber stated. "She's actually an agent at the LTA, too."

Mihael looked like he wanted to answer but was cut off by Nate's impatient, "we have work to do, Aiber. Can the small talk wait for later?"

Mihael glanced at Nate, then looked back at Aiber and shrugged. "See? Nice is definitely not a word I'd use to describe him."

Aiber simply smiled while Nate shot a glare in Mihael's direction. Mihael pretended not to notice and instead walked up to where Aiber was. "How does this work?" He asked curiously.

Aiber didn't look up from what he was doing. "Do you really want to know, Mello?"

Mihael considered that. He was interested, of course. But did he really want to know, right this instant? Probably not. "Yeah, maybe later." He answered. He inclined his head towards the instruments he'd noticed earlier. "What about those instruments? What are those for?"

Aiber still didn't look up. "We keep those as backups. You cannot imagine the number of times there have been mishaps." He stopped fiddling around with the console and looked up at Mihael. "You ready?"

Mihael looked at Nate. He seemed to be fiddling around with his phone. "Nate?" He asked.

Nate looked up from his phone with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Can we start?" Mihael asked.

"You don't need to ask me for permission to start, Mihael." Nate answered. "Please, feel free to begin. Aiber will be guiding you through it, not me. He's the expert."

"I am." Aiber agreed. He eyed Mihael's guitar that was still strapped to his back. "You gonna use your own instrument, then?" Mihael simply nodded. "Alright, please step into the booth, then."

Mihael lifted the guitar off his back and unzipped the cover, letting it fall to the floor. He walked towards the door that led to the booth. He was just about to push the door open when he heard Nate speak. "Mihael?"

Mihael glanced at him, his hand still on the handle. "Yeah?"

"Sing well." Nate said. In an attempt to make it sound less awkward, he added: "This demo will be going out to venues and recording labels, after all."

Mihael smirked. "Right, sure." He walked into the booth, moving to stand in front of the microphone that was set up. He positioned the guitar in his arms, much like he had back at Nate's apartment. He closed his eyes for a few moments.

When Mihael opened his eyes, he saw Nate on the opposite side, headphones in place. He was looking at Mihael intently. It looked like Nate was silently telling him to start singing already. Mihael smiled slightly, as though to tell him, _I'm getting into my element, Nate_. A second later, Nate frowned and instead looked at Aiber. He seemed to be saying something to him, but Mihael couldn't figure out what. It didn't matter, however.

It was another second later when Aiber met Mihael's eyes and gave him a nod, an indication for him to begin.

Mihael closed his eyes, took a deep breath and began playing.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry if the whole deal with recording studios isn't accurate. Like I said, you're gonna just have to work with me on that one. I'm trying to research stuff, but some specific details are always hard to find out. So yeah. Also sorry for the super long chapter, I just didn't want to end it sooner because then I'd have to drag the demo part to the next chapter. Also, please leave me some feedback It keeps me motivated to continue writing.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I was kind of stuck on how to proceed, but luckily, I had outlined the entire story beforehand, so I just went back and read that and then I was inspired once again. So, here goes chapter 4. Thank you for those who are so supportive of this fic.**

 **Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Ohba and Obata.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4:**

"Mello! MELLO!"

Mihael groaned and buried his head deeper into the pillow. He didn't want to deal with Matt right now. He just wanted to sleep. It was all he wanted. A moment later, he felt a pair of hands shake his form roughly. Mihael's eyes snapped open. He sat up and Matt stepped back.

"What is it, Matt?" Mihael growled. "I'm trying to sleep here!"

Matt sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at Mihael. "Dude, it's 9 A.M. You're usually up earlier than this."

Mihael sighed. "I had a rough day yesterday. I needed some time out, alright?"

Matt snorted. "Rough day? You talk like you were out having sex the whole day. It was just a meeting with your agent, wasn't it? Oh, oh, _wait._ "

If Mihael weren't still half asleep, he'd have punched his friend for his insinuation. As it happened, he simply sighed and said, "I'm not doing this right now."

Matt laughed and punched Mihael's shoulder. "Cheer up. I was just kidding." He then stood up and walked over to the desk, where his computer stood, in all its beautiful glory. "I needed a favor."

Mihael raised an eyebrow, but since Matt had his back turned to him, he didn't notice. "What favor?" He asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

Matt turned around to look at his friend. "So, a while back, I got this message from one of my subscribers. I'm one of those guys who reads every one of them, you know? Anyway, they sent me a message, informing me of this Indie Game Convention that's happening today, which is pretty cool, if you ask me. It's just, well, it's an hour's drive from here, and I needed you to give me a ride."

Mihael blinked in response. Then, he narrowed his eyes. "You have your car."

Matt averted his gaze then. "Yeah, uh, funny story actually…" his voice trailed off.

Mihael continued staring at him. When Matt refused to speak, Mihael snapped, "Well?"

"It's at the garage!" Matt answered quickly, still refusing to meet Mihael's eyes. "I, uh, crashed it."

"You fucking idiot!" Mihael muttered, just loud enough for Matt to catch it. Matt scowled.

"Hey, it wasn't intentional. I just didn't think, 'oh you know what, let me just go crash my car into that wall, cause that's always fun!' It was an accident, alright?" Matt said. He was glaring at Mihael now. There was a brief silence in the room, where both simply stared at one another.

Mihael finally let out a laugh. "So, was it a girl or was it alcohol?"

Matt's face turned red. "Neither." He answered. He met Mihael's eyes and sighed, "Okay, it was a girl. She distracted me."

Mihael shook his head in amusement, then got off the bed. Belatedly, he realized he hadn't even gotten out of his clothes the previous night. He must have been really exhausted, then. It wasn't the singing itself that had been exhausting. Oh no, that was the easiest part of his entire day. He actually liked that part of his day. It was Nate that exhausted him. While Mihael sang, Nate kept interrupting him, trying to tell him to change one thing or another. _"You need to be softer in these parts, Mihael,"_ _"Mihael, maybe you should shift these lines around,"_ _"This somehow doesn't impact me at all, Mihael. There's no feeling in it, I feel absolutely no depth in it."_

It was that last statement that had almost made Mihael snap. He had wanted to reach out through the glass that separated him from Nate and wrap his arms around the shorter man's neck and squeeze it tightly. He had simply closed his eyes, instead, grit his teeth and calmly asked, "Anything else, Nate?" Nate shook his head in response to that. Mihael had then ignored the man and continued to sing. This had gone on for at least five hours. By the end, Mihael was exhausted, not because of his singing, but because of Nate's constant interruptions.

He still wasn't shutting up when Mihael got into his car and Nate drove them both to his apartment, where Mihael had left his bike. Nate had refused to get on the bike with Mihael, and had forced Mihael to leave his bike behind and get into Nate's car. Mihael had reluctantly agreed.

"Today's session was alright," Nate said as he drove and Mihael closed his eyes, trying to drain out Nate's annoying voice. "I suppose this demo should work for the time being. It's not going to be enough in the long run, of course, but I hope it works well enough to get you some shows." He then glanced sideways at Mihael. "What do you think?"

"You're the expert," Mihael answered, eyes still closed. "You should know."

To Mihael's surprise, Nate had remained silent at that. He opened his eyes and studied Nate's face, who was now looking at the road. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed and Mihael found that interesting. He didn't ask Nate anything, however. They completed the rest of the drive in silence, and when Mihael had finally got on to his bike and turned on the engine, Nate simply said, "I'll contact you once I get the CDs from Aiber." Mihael nodded and left from there, relieved to finally be done with the day.

Now, he sighed as he looked at Matt. He walked over to Matt, placed his hands on Matt's shoulders and said, "You're a fucking idiot." Matt frowned and pushed Mihael away. Mihael only laughed, turned around and headed outside the room, calling out a quick, "I'll be ready in half an hour! You owe me, asshole!" over his shoulder as he did.

Matt called back, "Yeah whatever, dick!"

* * *

LTA's lobby was more or less empty when Nate entered. He spotted Misa at her desk, casually laughing and talking to a man and a girl Nate did not recognize. That is, until he walked further in and the man turned a little. Light Yagami. Nate walked over to the three conversing adults and cleared his throat.

Misa looked at him with a wide smile. "Good morning, Nate!"

Light turned around fully to face Nate, leaning his side against Misa's desk. "Oh, morning, Nate." He greeted. The girl standing behind Light stepped aside, coming fully into Nate's view. Nate recognized her as Light's sister. She smiled at him in greeting. Nate simply nodded at the two of them.

"Morning, Misa." Nate said, glancing at his receptionist. "Is L here?"

"Oh, I'm here for him, too." Light said, still smiling benignly. Nate gave Misa a questioning look.

"Oh, like I was telling Light here, L is busy in a meeting." Misa answered.

"Are you sure that's all you were telling him, Misa?" Nate asked, quirking an eyebrow. "It didn't look like that."

Misa flushed and glared at Nate. Light laughed and said, "Oh, Nate. Well, if you must know, Sayu here was telling me about how Misa always wanted to be an actress, and I told Misa she definitely had the looks for it." Light turned to Misa and winked at her. Misa blushed at that. "I also asked her if she'd like an agent, you know."

"Ah, so you're here to find a client at our expense." Nate said, nodding. "Typical."

Light's smile dropped. "Of course not," he said, sounding mock-hurt. "I'm just here to meet a dear old friend."

Nate didn't respond to that. He looked at Misa once more. "Who's L busy in a meeting with?"

"Hold on," Misa said, picking up a small black book from her desk. She flipped the pages and then paused. She looked up at Nate. "Naomi Misora. He's in a meeting with Misora."

"Oh," Nate said, "In that case, please inform L that I'm waiting for him in my cabin. Tell him it's regarding the client he apparently saw 'potential' in."

Misa only nodded, picking up a pen and making a note in her notebook. "Done." She said.

Nate looked at Light and Sayu. "Nice to meet you, Yagami and er…Yagami." He turned around and started for the elevator when he heard Sayu call after him, "You could just call me Sayu, you know!" He refused to acknowledge it.

-x-

"Ah, Near!" L said brightly as he stepped into Nate's cabin. Nate, who was currently seated on his chair, looked up at him and glared. It took L a moment to realize his mistake. "Ah, sorry, sorry. _Nate_. That's better?"

Nate still looked peeved. "Why don't you ever knock, L?"

L simply shrugged, walking up to one of the chairs opposite Nate's desk and sitting down. "I'm your boss, Nate. I don't need to knock."

"It's just basic human decency," Nate muttered. "I wouldn't expect you to understand that, I suppose."

L shook his head. "If I were anyone else, you'd probably be fired for talking to your superior like that, you know?" He looked thoughtful for a moment, before he continued, "But then again, I am not anyone else, and you're ridiculously good at your job for me to fire you."

Nate smirked. "Weren't you the one who told me not to treat you like my boss, and instead address you as a colleague?"

L nodded. "Yes, I did." He then leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk in front of him. "Now, why'd you want to see me? You told Misa it's regarding your client. Michael, was it?"

Nate heaved a sigh and absently brought his hand up to twirl a strand of hair around his finger. He had tried to drop that particular habit, and for the most part, he definitely had. Sometimes, however, he chose to indulge. It was often when something seemed to be bothering him or stressing him out. L's eyebrows quirked up at Nate's action.

"Near?" L prompted.

"It's _Mihael_ , not Michael. Also…well, I needed some insight," Nate began, not bothering to correct L for using the detested nickname. That was indication enough that whatever it was Nate needed to say, it was troublesome. "It's just that, well, I do not quite know what to do with him."

"You need advice, then?" L asked.

Nate shook his head, finger still twirling the white strands of hair. "Not advice, L. Maybe a little insight."

L sighed. He tapped his feet a little restlessly, not quite used to sitting like an ordinary person. He wanted to bring both his knees up to his chest, sit in a way that felt comfortable to him. However, after receiving some rather firm criticism from Misora, he'd tried to avoid it. " _It looks highly unprofessional, L_. _Especially for someone who's supposed to be the owner of such a great Agency. It'll reflect badly on all of us,"_ she'd admonished. L had had no choice but to agree with her. Misora was pretty much the only person he ever listened to, really. Of course, that wasn't what he was supposed to be thinking of right now. "Alright, insight on what?" He asked.

Nate considered that. He'd, of course, worked with a few musicians in his time as an agent. It had been easy enough, because these musicians had been well established in the industry. They'd signed on short-term contracts with him. Nate only had to help them get a few record deals, perhaps a bit of publicity, and his work was done. It had never been much of a challenge, really. With Mihael, however, he had absolutely no idea how to proceed. Mihael was a nobody in the industry. Mihael had talent, yes, but he had no existing fame to speak of. He had no loyal fan-base, had no previously signed record deal. He didn't even have a demo CD, not until Nate had signed him on. Mihael's situation was so far out of Nate's comfort zone that it troubled him immensely.

"I haven't ever worked with a struggler before, L. I am not sure how to proceed with him. I can't very well try to get him record deals. At least, not yet." Nate admitted reluctantly. It wasn't like him to not know how to deal with certain situations. It was obviously hurting the very foundation of his pride to be admitting to this.

L stared at his employee for a moment. He then let out a soft chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Nate snapped, glaring.

L shook his head. "I'm just not used to you needing help." He said. "Don't look at me like that, Nate. It's not a bad thing. Anyway, regarding your situation, no, you cannot start with record deals."

"I figured as much. How do I start, then?"

L brought his thumb up to his mouth, resting it there. Nate knew that to be his thoughtful look. "You'll have to start by getting him gigs. You'll have to contact show coordinators. They can, in turn, hook you up with _their_ contacts. They're always looking for performers for various venues. You could start from there."

Nate furrowed his eyebrows. "I do not have any such contacts, L. At best, I have contacts with some well known recording labels."

"You've not really worked with a lot of musicians, have you?" L asked, amused at Nate's obviously troubled look.

"Like I said, it's never been a struggler before." Nate clarified.

"There's always a first time," L said dismissively. He reached for the black phone on Nate's desk and pulled it closer. He picked up the receiver, dialed a number with his long, bony fingers. He waited. Nate watched in quiet interest. After a moment, L said, "Ah, yes, Misa. This is L. Can you please ask Misora to come to Near's—sorry, Nate's—cabin? Yes, immediately. Thank you, Misa." He kept the receiver down. Nate gave him a questioning look.

"Misora has contacts," L answered. "She can help you."

Five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. "Come in, please." Nate said. He shot a meaningful look in L's direction, as if to say, 'look, that's what decent human beings are supposed to do. They knock.'

Naomi Misora entered a second later, a perplexed look on her face. "You called for me?" she asked, looking at L.

"Yes, I did. Please take a seat." L said, gesturing at the empty chair beside him. Naomi walked in, shutting the door behind her. She took the seat beside L. She glanced at Nate once, then back at L.

"Nate needs your assistance," L said. He then stood up from his seat rather abruptly. He garnered questioning looks from the other two, but he simply shrugged. "I've been keeping Light waiting. It's not polite. I should go."

"Light Yagami?" Naomi asked while Nate said, "Speaking of Yagami, what is he doing here, L?"

"Yes, Light Yagami, Misora," L began, and then looking at Nate, "We catch up, sometimes. We're friends, sort of. Also, Nate, you shouldn't accuse him of stealing our clients, because as far as I'm aware, Misa isn't a client of ours. She's just our receptionist. Also, he wasn't serious about that. He has his sister to manage, after all."

"I should have known he'd tell you about that," Nate muttered. "I did not accuse him of stealing anything, though. He simply took it that way."

"It was implied, Nate."

"No, it's what he interpreted it as." Nate said.

Naomi observed the exchange silently. L didn't bother to respond to that and shoved his hands into his pockets. He addressed Naomi. "Nate needs help with his client. He's a musician, who isn't exactly well-known. You've worked with a lot of musicians before, so you could probably guide him." He nodded at Nate and then proceeded to exit from the cabin, closing the door loudly behind him.

Naomi and Nate stared at each other for a long moment. Then, Nate said, "Right, so, L told me you'd have some contacts I could make use of."

Naomi nodded her head. "Yeah, I do."

"Would you be able to guide me through the specifics of what needs to be done?" Nate asked.

Naomi smiled at that. "Of course I can. Now, what do you need me to help you with?"

* * *

The convention turned out to be nothing like Mihael had expected. He'd sort of expected a repeat of the last convention he'd attended with Matt, where Matt had forced him to cosplay along with him. Mihael had still not entirely forgiven Matt for the sheer embarrassment he'd caused him. This was different, however. There were lesser people in comparison, and he could see desks set up with computers and consoles. There were people standing at each desk, speaking animatedly with the ones who stopped at their particular desk. Apparently, these were some of the independent developers who wanted to put their work on display, so that people could get a free demo of the game, and then decide on whether or not they'd like to try it out.

"So this is what an Indie Game Convention looks like, huh?" Mihael commented, glancing sideways at Matt who seemed to be taking in his surroundings eagerly. Matt met his gaze and nodded, adjusting the strap of the goggles perched over his head. "You gonna try these games out?"

Matt shrugged. "Dunno, I mean, that's kind of the idea. And since I'm a pretty well known youtuber, I'll also be helping them out, you know? I just need to see what interests me."

Mihael nodded. He spotted a few people in the distance, laughing and clicking pictures. They were dressed in some strange, medieval looking attire. One of them glanced in his direction, noticed him staring and smiled. Mihael looked a little taken aback but smiled nonetheless. It would be rude not to. Unfortunately, that person took it as an invitation and started towards him.

"Hey," she said, brushing hair out of her eyes. She glanced at Mihael's attire—his usual leather pants, his black vest and leather boots (he'd ditched the jacket for today)—and said, "Which character are you dressed as? I do not remember any character who dressed like that."

Mihael's eyes widened in disbelief and Matt snickered. Mihael shot him a glare.

"Oh, he's dressed as himself," Matt said, trying to rein in his laughter. It was proving difficult, especially when he noticed the girl's embarrassed expression. Mihael looked very insulted.

"Oh," the girl said. She gave Mihael an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry! I just thought…well, it's a convention, so I just thought you were probably cosplaying someone…Your attire's not bad, by the way. It, uh, it suits you." She quickly walked away from there before Mihael could even open his mouth.

"That was interesting." Matt said, still trying to hold back his laughter.

"Oh please, my attire is a hundred times better than that stupid fur vest you wear!" Mihael snapped.

"Hey, my vest is pretty damn amazing."

Mihael gave a dismissive grunt and continued walking. It was a moment before he realized Matt wasn't walking beside him anymore. With an irritated sigh, he turned on his spot and was almost about to call out to his best friend when he paused. Matt wasn't off wandering alone. He had company. And it wasn't just anyone. He was currently in the presence of a very pretty brunette girl. Mihael decided to walk a little closer so that he could hear the conversation.

"Is this the first time you've visited an Indie Game Convention?" The girl was asking.

Matt shook his head. "No, I'd visited one before, but that was a little different, you know? I mean, it also was on a smaller scale than this."

The girl nodded. She then brought her hand forward. "I'm Linda, by the way."

Matt smiled and shook her hand. Linda flushed a little at the contact and withdrew her hand quickly. "I'm Matt," He said.

Linda's eyes widened for a moment. "Matt?"

"Er, yeah. Why, is there a problem with my name?"

Linda shook her head quickly. "N-no! It's just, please don't think this sounds creepy or anything, but your voice sounds awfully familiar and I was wondering…" she trailed off. She looked visibly uncomfortable.

Matt simply furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What?"

"Are you, uh, the same Matt from Youtube?" She asked.

It was now Matt's turn to look uncomfortable. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, considering. It was true that his channel was among the more popular ones. He had never, however, revealed his face on camera. He often found comments on his videos, requesting him to start using a face-cam, simply because everyone loved his voice and his commentary and they were itching to see what he looked like. Matt was just never comfortable about showing his face to those watching. He'd rather keep that aspect of his identity a secret. Slowly, he said, "Uh, there are a lot of Matts on Youtube."

"Right, of course. Let me be a bit more specific, then. Are you Matt from JeevasGaming?" Linda said, looking at the redhead expectantly.

Matt bit his lip. Shit. He was screwed. He decided to be honest. "Yeah. How'd you guess?"

Linda smiled at that. "Like I said, your voice sounded familiar. It's particularly hard not to recognize the voice of someone whose videos you've practically been binge-watching." She blushed slightly. "You could say I'm a fan."

Matt laughed. "That's good to know, I suppose."

Linda looked ready to say something else but was distracted by the buzzing in her pant pocket. She pulled her phone out and glanced at it. "Shit," she muttered. She looked up at Matt. "I've got to go. I'm needed elsewhere. It was nice talking to you!" She proceeded to leave but then stopped abruptly. She gave Matt an expectant look. "If you're still around in an hour, maybe we could talk some more?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Linda smiled and walked away from there, leaving behind a slightly flustered Matt. He'd just met a fan, and she was an awfully pretty looking fan. It could have been worse, really. He heard someone clear their throat behind him and said, "Yeah, Mello?"

Mihael walked up to Matt and crossed his arms across his chest. "What was that about?"

"She's a fan. Didn't you hear our conversation?"

Mihael frowned. "Yeah, I did." Then, "You sure it's wise to just hang out with her like that? I mean, she sounds kind of stalker-ish, if you ask me."

Matt shrugged. "She seems nice enough. Come on, like you wouldn't be flattered if a pretty girl came up to you and said she'd been listening to your songs all day."

Mihael considered that. Of course he'd be flattered. "You have a point, I guess."

There was then an announcement on the microphone, claiming that a team of Indie Game developers were now at the panel, talking about the success of their last game. They were also going to be making some huge announcement. Matt's eyes brightened at that. He grabbed Mihael's hand and started dragging him towards the area where the panel had been set up.

"Matt!" Mihael protested.

"Hey, these developers are my favorite, Mello! Theirs is one of my all time favorite Indie games! I cannot miss this!" Matt said. They reached the area and settled down on two chairs somewhere in the middle row. Matt looked so excited, it was almost ridiculous. Mihael simply crossed his right leg over his left, threw his head back and closed his eyes.

Matt watched as the developers took their seats at the panel. He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. His eyes suddenly widened when he noticed a particular brunette walk on to the stage and take a seat next to a tall and burly man. His jaw dropped. Linda was one of the developers of one of his all time favorite games? And _she_ was _his_ fan? "Fuck!" he breathed in awe.

Mihael's eyes snapped open. He turned his head to look at Matt. "What's the matter?"

Matt simply continued to stare. Mihael followed his gaze and paused. Then, he let out a short laugh. "Amazing! So not only is she your fan, but you're her fan too. It's perfect."

Matt hushed Mihael then because the panel had started and the man next to Linda was speaking. He spoke about the game in general, the concept behind it and then he announced that there was going to be a sequel to it. There was a huge round of applause at that. It was a while before Linda was given a chance to speak and it turned out that she was the art designer for the game ( _of course_ Matt's favorite aspect of the game was its artwork! This was definitely no co-incidence. This was fate or some shit) and she was talking about the inspiration she'd had for certain character designs. Matt was listening to every single word with the utmost interest. The panel ended half an hour later, and Matt was one of the first ones to get up from his seat.

He hurried past the crowd towards Linda. Once he was close enough, he called out, "Linda!"

She turned around and stopped. She signaled for her colleagues to continue without her. "Hey."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Matt asked.

"We barely got time to talk, Matt." Linda answered. "I was in a hurry. I figured we'd get more time to talk once I was done."

"We could grab a cup of coffee, if you want." Matt suggested. Briefly, he marveled at just how smoothly he'd managed to ask her out.

Linda looked over his shoulder at Mihael. "Uh, what about your friend?"

Matt turned around and sure enough, Mihael stood there, hands shoved into his too-tight pockets. He excused himself from Linda and walked over to his friend. "Hey, Mello."

"No." Mihael said.

"What, you didn't even hear what I had to say!"

"You want to ditch me here and take Linda out for coffee. On my bike. So, no." Mihael said.

"Come on man, it's rare that I find girls I genuinely like!" Matt pleaded. "Please, Mello? Look, if I had my car, this wouldn't have even been a problem! But I don't have my car!"

"You should have thought of that before you crashed it, then." Mihael snapped.

Matt stared into Mihael's eyes, mustering the most pathetic looking expression he could. Mihael sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine." He relented.

"I love you, man!" Matt said cheerfully. He then dug into his pockets and pulled out a few dollar bills. He stuffed them into Mihael's hand. "Here, take a cab. I know it's a shit ton of money, but I owe you."

Mihael scowled and pushed the money back into Matt's hand. "Shut up. Just go, alright?" He pulled out his bike key from his pocket and handed it to Matt. "Here you go. Don't you dare crash it, you get it?"

Matt took the key from Mihael and nodded. He turned around and walked up to Linda. He said something to her which made her blush. A moment later, the two left from there.

Mihael was about to leave, too, when his phone started buzzing. He fished it out of his pocket and frowned when he saw the name on the caller-Id. Nate River. _Fucking perfect._ He slid his finger right across the screen and put the phone to his ear. "Yeah, Nate?"

"Mihael, where are you right now?" Nate said.

"I'm at some Indie Game Convention right now. Why?" Mihael answered.

"Is there any way for you to meet me? I have collected your Demo CDs from Aiber. I have a few contacts as well. I thought we could go over it together. We could decide on the venues to get you some shows." Nate's voice was calm and monotonous. Mihael wondered if he ever brought any kind of variations in his tone. Probably not.

"I could meet you, except I'm kind of stranded here. I don't have my bike. Do you think you could come pick me up from here, Nate? I could forward you the address." Mihael said. He figured it'd be easier to hitch a ride with his agent and he was pretty sure Nate wouldn't refuse. He also wanted to piss Nate off, for no apparent reason. You could call it revenge for Nate pissing him off the previous day, he supposed.

There was a brief pause on the other end. Then, "I'm not your personal assistant, Mihael." He was silent for another moment. "I don't have time to waste, either. Forward me the address quickly." He then hung up. No goodbye, nothing. He really needed to learn some telephone etiquette.

Mihael simply smirked and texted him the address. _At least I don't have to spend a shit ton of money on a cab now._

* * *

 **A/N: Feedback is what motivates me to update, guys. So keep them coming. Also, I think by this point I should let you know, I have no idea how agents work, and this is completely my take on stuff. I apologize if it doesn't match up to how things work in real life.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here's the new chapter. I'm not sure, at this point, who all are actually following this fic, but to all those who are, thank you. For a long time, the lack of feedback was sort of getting to me, but then I realized, I'm writing this fic for two reasons: one, I really want to complete something that I've started, and two, I like this idea a lot. I want to see it to its completion, so that one day, I can have the pleasure of reading it myself. So that's what is still motivating me. Anyway, enough of rambling. Here goes.**

 **Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Ohba and Obata. All I own is my idea.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Not a Date- Just Work**

In retrospect, asking Nate to accompany him to the café was one of the stupidest ideas Mihael had ever had. And he'd had a shit ton of those in his life, most of which often included dating the wrong sorts of girls. Actually, that was all they ever included. But this was fast gaining momentum to the top of his list.

The two of them currently sat on chairs opposite each other, each staring at the menu cards in their respective hands. Nate was casually flipping through the pages, probably trying to identify something he liked. Mihael just stared at his blankly. He didn't really need to go through the menu, because the owner knew his order. Mihael was a regular here. He just did it because the alternative was for him to sit in silence, staring at Nate's face awkwardly. He didn't like that alternative much, so he took to staring at the menu instead.

"So," Nate's voice broke through Mihael's thoughts, surprising him. Mihael looked up at him in question. "Why'd you bring us here?"

Mihael closed his menu card and set it down on the table in front of him. He looked around his surroundings, taking in the low lighting of the café he loved so much, the café he owed so much to. It was a cozy set up. The walls were painted to look like bricks, pictures of older and newer musicians hung up on them. There were also some pictures of inspiring quotes put up. There was a stage on the far end, with a light from overhead falling directly on to the center. There were big speakers positioned on either end, an empty mike stand in the center. There were various instruments pushed up against the wall. There was also a karaoke system pushed to the side. It hadn't been made use of in a long time. On the other end of the room, which was big enough as it is, there were a set of glass doors that led into a lounge like area. That was, however, meant for a more intimate set up and Mihael would never, in his wildest of dreams, be caught sitting with Nate in there.

"I like this place," Mihael answered, a fond smile playing at his lips. He focused on the music drifting from the speakers above. It wasn't anything he recognized. "It's a nice set-up, don't you think?"

Nate looked around as well, nodding. "It sure is." He then looked at Mihael once more. "Still, why'd you insist on us coming here? We had work to discuss, Mihael."

Mihael frowned slightly. "Well, would you rather we discussed this in your car? No offence Nate, but it's not _that_ comfortable."

"No, I figured we'd just speak in my office." Nate said simply.

"Well, this is a nicer environment than your office," Mihael argued. "And, I had a craving for their hot chocolate."

Nate raised an eyebrow. "Ah, there's the real reason." He paused before continuing, "This is also a noisier environment than my office, Mihael. Like I said, we have work to discuss. How do you expect to get any work done?"

Mihael was about to answer when he was interrupted by the arrival of a woman at their table. She looked at Mihael and smiled charmingly. Mihael recognized her as one of the waitresses he'd been fond of. He grinned. "Hey," he said.

"Hey yourself," she said. She had a small notebook and pen clutched in her hand. Her smile faded somewhat as she added, "It's been a while since I saw you around, Mello. All you can say is 'hey'?"

"I'm sorry, Cindy," he said, smiling sweetly. "I was just caught up in work."

"Yeah, ditching us to perform elsewhere, right?" Cindy said with a slight frown. "Adriana is not pleased with you."

"Oh please, Adriana loves me." Mihael scoffed. He then gestured in Nate's direction. "Cindy, that's Nate. He's my agent."

Cindy brought her gaze to the young white-haired man. He looked visibly uncomfortable by the sudden shift in attention. She smiled politely at him. She then looked at Mihael and said, "You got an agent? You're shitting me, aren't you?"

Mihael frowned. "Why'd you find that hard to believe? I'm not talented enough to have an agent? He really is my agent. And he's from LTA." Nate simply nodded in affirmation. At Cindy's disbelieving look, Mihael simply smirked.

Cindy laughed and looked at Nate. "I thought you were his date, to be honest. I'm glad you're just his agent. I've had my eyes on this blond guy forever, and I was almost heartbroken."

Nate looked scandalized. "You _what_?"

"She's joking, Nate." Mihael said, looking somewhat uncomfortable himself. He then addressed Cindy. "You know my order, don't you?"

Just like that, Cindy's laugh faded. It was replaced by a polite, almost professional smile. "One hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate syrup, yeah?" Mihael only nodded. Cindy made a note in her notebook. She then looked at Nate. "What about you, Sir?"

"A coffee, please." He said.

"Uh, would it be a latte, cappuccino, or an espresso, Sir?"

Nate sighed. "Make it a latte, please."

Cindy made another note in her book. She then nodded to herself. "I'll be right up with your orders." She turned around to leave when she paused, looked at Mihael and said, "I almost forgot, I had this." She reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a bar of Hershey's chocolate. She placed it on the table in front of Mihael. He grinned and she simply winked and walked off.

Mihael grabbed the chocolate bar from the table and began unwrapping it. He tore the silver foil halfway through and bit into it. He sighed.

"Didn't you just order a hot chocolate?" Nate asked.

Mihael looked at him, taking another bite from his chocolate. "Yeah, so?"

Nate shook his head. "Never mind." He then pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and casually began scrolling through it. When he found what he'd been looking for, he said, "Right, shall we begin?"

"Where's the demo CD? I want to take a look at it." Mihael said. He was almost halfway done with his chocolate.

Nate nodded. He bent down and picked up his bag, settling it onto his lap instead. He unzipped it and digging around, pulled out a CD and a portable CD player. He placed them both on the table, zipped his bag and put it down once more.

Mihael picked up the CD case and inspected its front cover. There was no cover art on it. There was just a piece of white paper with the words, 'Mello's Demo' scratched on to it. He frowned. "There's no cover art." He then flipped the CD case over, staring at it. It was just another white paper, with the names of the three tracks listed on it.

"It's a demo, Mihael." Nate said. "You get impressive cover arts only when you sign a record deal. You also get back-up vocals and bands for that." He then pulled the CD case out from Mihael's hand, opened it and pulled the CD out. He inserted it into the portable player. The earphones were already connected to it and he slid it across the table to Mihael. "Give it a listen."

"Don't you want to listen, too?" Mihael asked, grabbing the earplugs and inserting them into his ears.

Nate shrugged. "Maybe later."

Mihael pressed the play button and closed his eyes. He listened intently while Nate observed him, his expressions. There was an interruption as Cindy came up with their orders, but Mihael didn't notice her. His eyes were still closed, listening to the CD. She gave Nate a questioning look, to which he only shook his head. Cindy placed their orders on the table and left.

Nate continued to observe Mihael's expressions even as he reached out and picked up his coffee mug. He took a sip and flinched. It was hot. He should have known better than to burn his tongue like that. He placed the mug back on the table, scowling at it.

A few minutes later, Mihael finally opened his eyes. He pulled the earplugs out and dropped them to the table. He stared at Nate. Nate met his gaze and asked, "So?"

Mihael didn't answer for a moment. He reached for his hot chocolate and took a long sip, savoring the taste. "That was amazing." He said finally. His voice was soft, disbelieving. "I had no idea I could sound _that_ good."

"That is the power of recording studios," Nate said, taking another sip from his coffee. It didn't burn his tongue this time.

"No, I mean," Mihael said, placing his mug down, "I always knew I was good. People always told me that. This is the first time I've actually _heard_ myself sing, you know?"

Nate looked for a moment. Then, he nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"See, I would've been even better had you not kept interrupting me like that," Mihael said. "You really pissed me off with those constant interruptions."

Nate's brows furrowed in confusion. "I was just trying to help you, Mihael. I just gave you tips based on what I've experienced with previous clients. I just know what clicks, and what doesn't."

"Yeah, well, it was infuriating." Mihael said. "Maybe next time, you can try not to be so annoying about it?"

Nate considered that. "I can try, I suppose."

Mihael took another sip from his drink. "Yeah, so, let's talk now. About those contacts."

* * *

Half an hour later, the two had finished with their drinks and Cindy had come to clean up their empty mugs. She left once she'd cleaned up. She'd surprisingly not stopped to talk to Mihael. There was also an open notebook on the table with several names written on the page. Mihael was currently staring at them. They were all names of famous clubs in the city, each name bigger than the previous one. According to Nate, they weren't that huge, but they'd been known to kick start many a musicians' careers. For Mihael, someone who'd only ever performed at cafés, all of these names were huge. He'd be surprised if he got a gig at any one of these places. These clubs were names he'd heard of; _of course_ he'd heard of them. He knew the kind of crowd these clubs got. It was crazy. It was huge. It was fucking incredible.

"Yes, Misora. Naomi Misora. You know of her, I assume?"

Nate's voice made Mihael's head snap up and look at him. Nate was currently speaking to one of the contacts he'd managed to acquire from someone. Actually, she was the only contact Nate had managed to acquire. She, apparently, had her own contacts for several venues. Those were all the clubs listed in the notebook. Nate needed to convince her enough for her to put him through some of them.

"I'm Nate River," Nate was saying, "Misora said she'll be speaking to you. Did she?"

There was a brief pause where Mihael assumed the woman was saying something. Then, Nate spoke. "Yes, it is true that my client hasn't performed at such venues before, but I firmly believe he'll be able to pull it off. He has talent, Miss Takada."

Mihael's eyes widened at that. It just felt odd to hear Nate admit that out loud. Mihael wasn't sure Nate had acknowledged, even once, that Mihael was talented. Not outright, anyway.

"I know that club only has well established musicians perform," Nate said impatiently into the phone, "but you just said they're short of one performer, didn't you? Give my client a chance. I highly doubt it will reflect negatively on the club's standards. And of course, you've had beginners perform at these clubs before, haven't you? In the end, the audience wants to listen to good music, isn't it?" There was a pause and then Nate's face reddened a little. He coughed slightly. Mihael simply raised his eyebrow in question. Nate didn't meet his eyes. "I don't believe I can answer that. You'd do well to make that judgment on your own, Miss Takada."

Mihael decided to tune out the rest of the conversation. It's not like he wasn't interested in listening, he definitely wanted to see how Nate worked, but the conversation was starting to border on repetition. He grabbed the notebook and pen, flipped to an empty page and absently started writing down lines. He wasn't entirely sure they'd turn into full fledged songs, but he could always try.

"Thank you, Miss Takada. I truly appreciate it. My client won't disappoint, I'm sure." Nate's voice snapped into Mihael's consciousness once more, "I can drop by your apartment and hand over the demo to you, if that's no trouble." A pause. "That settles it, then. When am I likely to hear from you?—Yes, alright. Thank you." He finally moved the phone away from his ear, slid his finger to the left and let out a sigh.

"So, what did she say?" Mihael asked, looking at Nate expectantly.

Nate gave Mihael a look that conveyed the answer should be obvious. "She agreed, of course."

Mihael smiled.

Nate glanced at the notebook in front of Mihael and gave a questioning look.

Mihael glanced down at the few lines he'd scribbled on to the paper. "Oh, that," he said, "I thought I'd try and write something new."

Nate looked at him for a long moment and then nodded. "That would be advisable. You can't rely on these three songs alone, after all. Soon, they're going to want some variety."

"So, how long do they usually take to get back?" Mihael asked.

Nate looked thoughtful. "She said it would take about two days, at best. It could be longer, of course."

"So, she's going to listen to the demo?"

Nate nodded. "Well, she said she's going to pass it on to one of her own contacts. She knows for a fact that they're looking for a performer, rather desperately. You're likely to get a gig there. She'll only pass it on if she likes your demo, though." He was silent for a long moment before he added, "I do intend to get you a gig in the club she's directly in-charge of, though. You won't get it directly, but if you perform at a few other clubs, it should be easy enough."

"You're putting a lot of thought into this," Mihael observed, "I mean, not that it's a bad thing."

Nate looked at him. "I told you I'd put in the best of my efforts, didn't I?"

"Well, I thought that was just another lie you told me. You know, like the whole incomplete contract thing?"

Nate frowned. "Stop holding that against me."

Mihael shrugged. "Nah, I won't. That really pissed me off."

"Suit yourself." Then, "You used to perform here, then? I'm assuming that's how you managed to build such a rapport with the waitresses here."

Mihael looked over at the stage and sighed. "Oh yeah. This was the first café I ever performed at." He looked thoughtful. "I do miss it."

"Why did you stop?" Nate asked.

Mihael didn't look at him. "I didn't exactly stop. I started performing at various cafes, just like this one. I've just not had much chance to come back here." He then looked at Nate. "I've actually not performed anywhere in the last week. I suppose I've taken a break."

There was a sudden sound of static. Mihael and Nate, along with a few other customers looked towards the stage. Cindy stood on it, mike clutched in hand. She smiled. "Ladies and Gentlemen," her voice boomed out, "I'm not sure how many of you are regulars here, but we have a very special customer with us here," she gestured towards Mihael, "Mello used to perform here every alternate day. He's not been here in a while, and I would love it if you could all encourage him to come and sing something for us. He has a truly wonderful voice, trust me. Mello?"

Mihael flushed when he suddenly felt all eyes on him. His gaze snapped to Nate. He was giving Mihael a rather peculiar look. After a moment, he smirked. "Go for it," Nate said.

Mihael shook his head, stood up from his seat, and headed towards the stage. He climbed up and picked up the guitar. Cindy placed the mike into the stand and stepped down as Mihael stood in front of it, guitar in position. He smiled at everyone who was looking at him. He started playing the guitar, a soft tune filtering out through the speakers. His voice accompanied the music a few seconds later.

Nate silently watched. When Mihael had finished his song, there was a huge round of applause. Mihael did a sort of mock bow and when brought his head up, his gaze snapped to Nate's. He smirked at his agent. His eyes were questioning. _How did I perform, Nate?_ He seemed to be asking. Nate figured it was a rhetorical question anyway. He looked away.

* * *

They left shortly after Mihael's performance. It was starting to get dark outside and Nate wanted to leave. Mihael and Nate had insisted on paying but Adriana, the owner, had claimed it was on the house. Nate didn't like that very much but he had soon learnt that it was nearly impossible to argue your way through Adriana. He'd eventually relented when Adriana had smacked his hand away as he made yet another attempt to give her the money. Mihael had simply chuckled at that and had only quieted when Nate shot him a glare.

Now they were sitting in Nate's car—Mihael truly regretted giving his bike to Matt—while he drove them over to Takada's apartment. "We have to hand over the demo CD to her," Nate had said.

They drove in relative silence. It was almost fifteen minutes later when Nate stopped in front of a small, blue house. He took hold of the CD he'd kept on the dashboard. That in hand, he stepped out of the car and started walking towards the gate.

Mihael briefly debated whether or not to follow him. He decided he'd just go, because Nate wasn't his servant, and it was unfair of him to have Nate do absolutely everything for him. He was also curious about this Takada person. He got out of the car as well, shutting the door loudly behind him. He walked up to where Nate was just as Nate rang the bell situated in the wall next to him. They stood in silence for a few moments and then the front door of the house opened. A woman, dressed in her night robe with short black hair stepped out. She came up to the gate and smiled.

"You must be Nate?" She asked, unlatching the gate from her end and pulling it open. She stepped aside, waiting for Nate and Mihael to enter.

Surprisingly, Nate remained where he was. Mihael followed his lead and stood on his spot as well.

"I apologize for arriving late," Nate said. He handed out the CD for Takada to take. "Here's my client's demo." She took it from him and nodded.

Nate then tapped Mihael's shoulder lightly. Mihael gave him a surprised look. Nate was, however, looking at Takada. "This is my client, Mihael Keehl."

Takada finally looked at Mihael. And she continued to look. "Hello." She said. She then looked at Nate and in a lowered voice said, "All you had to say was yes, Nate."

Mihael didn't quite understand what Takada was referring to, but apparently, Nate did and his face flushed a little. He shook his head quickly and said, "I didn't see how that was relevant. Anyway, we should get going. It's late and I'm sure you have better things to do."

"Mihael," Takada said, looking at the blond, "It's nice to meet you." She glanced down at the CD and said, "Why does this say 'Mello's Demo'?"

"That's my nickname," Mihael answered.

Takada nodded once more and said, "Alright Nate, I'll get back to you. Goodnight." She proceeded to close the gate and latch it. She turned around and went back to her front door—which was still open—and entered inside, closing the door behind her.

Mihael and Nate just stood there, staring at the closed house door. After another moment of silence, Mihael asked, "So, what did she mean by the whole 'you could've just said yes'?"

"It's not important," Nate said and began walking back to his car. Mihael hurried after him. They both entered inside and once the doors were shut, Nate put the key into the ignition. "So, I'm assuming I have to drop you now? Since you don't have your bike?"

"You don't _have_ to do anything," Mihael said, frowning.

"Where'd your bike go, anyway? You seemed like the kind of person who has horrible attachment issues with his vehicle."

"I lent it to my friend. To take a girl out." Mihael answered.

"Ah. I see."

"Will you just drive now?" Mihael snapped. He didn't feel right about having Nate drop him. He felt weirdly dependent on the man. He hated that. He hated Matt. He just wished he had his bike so he could just ride home, feel the cool night hair hit him, flow through his hair. But no, he was stuck with Nate, in his stupid car. That wasn't right, no. What he really felt was guilty. He somehow felt guilty for making Nate drive that extra distance just so that he could reach home. He hated the fact that he was feeling guilty.

"Turn left from that intersection," Mihael said suddenly, breaking the silence that had settled between the two men.

Nate did as he was told. He followed Mihael's occasional directions and finally, ten whole minutes later, he stopped in front of an apartment building. Mihael got out of the car and quickly hurried towards the gate. He did, however, turn around to look at Nate before entering inside. He found it only a little odd that Nate hadn't immediately driven off. "Uh, thanks for dropping me off!" He called out.

"Goodnight, Mihael." Nate said. He then drove off.

Mihael stared for a moment, shook his head and headed inside. Today had been a strange day.

* * *

Nate was exhausted as he finally entered his house. He went straight to his bedroom, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt as he did. Dropping his bag on the floor next to his bed, he went over to his wardrobe, pulled out his pajamas and changed into them. Oh, how he loved being in his pajamas. They were the most comfortable garments he'd ever worn. Sighing in content, he climbed on to his bed. He settled himself against the headboard, pulling his blankets over him.

Something caught his attention, however. He glanced to his side, at his desk and more importantly, at the structure that stood on his desk. It was an incomplete Lego city he'd been constructing. He'd only really gotten to the tall building, in all honesty. It was something he liked doing in his free time, to calm himself down. He liked building things. He liked the process of building or putting something together, rather than the end result itself. It wasn't something people knew about him—barring L, of course—and it was one of the reasons he'd never let anyone enter his room without his permission. They'd find a lot of Lego boxes, perhaps numerous card stacks and a wide range of puzzles. It was one thing he liked to keep to himself. No one needed to know what Nate River did in his free time.

However, he was in no mood to resume his building. He was exhausted. He simply leaned over, reaching for his bag. He unzipped it, pulled out the demo CD and the CD player and then zipped the bag close once more.

He placed the CD into the player and plugged in the earphones. He laid down flat on his back, his head resting on the soft pillow. He pressed the play button on the player and exhaled, closing his eyes. He hadn't had a chance to listen to the demo. He'd told Mihael he'd do it later. This was simply work and nothing more. However, as the music began drifting to his ears, he found himself enjoying it. He enjoyed the sound of the soft voice, the soft music. He'd seemingly forgotten that this was Mihael's demo he was listening to. It was Mihael's soft voice he seemed to be enjoying so much, Mihael's voice that seemed to be acting as a sort of lullaby. He tried to keep his eyes open, fighting the sleep that threatened to engulf him.

Eventually, he gave in and stopped fighting it. He let himself drift off, while the music continued to play in his ears.

* * *

 **A/N: While I do a decent job of motivating myself, reviews really do add to it. So please review?**

 **Also fun fact: next chapter we'll finally see Mihael get his first gig! Who's excited? I know I am for writing it, haha. And I know it looks like the fic is moving slow, but I don't want to rush this. I want to make the development of their relationship as real as possible, so if that means a few extra chapters, totally worth it, yeah? Oh, you'll also see how Matt and Linda's coffee date turned out. I'd add it to this chapter, but then that would make it too long.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So, here I am with chapter 6. Thank you to everyone who's been leaving me such wonderful comments. You all are the reason I'm still going through with this fic. On to the chapter, now.**

 **Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Ohba and Obata. I only own my idea.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: The Solstice**

It was a week before Mihael heard from Nate again.

The first day after his meeting with Nate, Mihael had taken to sitting at home and working on his music. He found that the words came freely to him, and he intended to take full advantage of this sudden flow of creativity. He'd been sitting on his bed, leaning against the wall, playing his guitar when the door opened. He frowned when he saw Matt in the doorway.

"You busy?" He asked. He wasn't alone. Mihael noticed a female standing behind Matt. It took him a moment to realize she was the same girl Matt had taken out for coffee the previous day. On his bike. Leaving him stranded. And having to get a ride from Nate.

"Yes, I am." Mihael answered shortly. He then glanced at Linda. "So, I'm assuming your date went well."

Matt's face reddened as he muttered a "Shut up, Mello" and walked into the room while Linda simply laughed.

"Hey, I said I was busy!"

Matt simply shrugged in response and signaled for Linda to enter. She did, shooting an apologetic look at Mihael. He didn't look too pleased. "To answer your question, yeah, it did go well." Linda said.

"Good to know." Mihael muttered, going back to what he was doing.

For a while, it was almost peaceful and quiet. Matt and Linda sat on Matt's bed, talking about trivial things. It was trivial for Mihael, but not so much for Matt. He was talking rather animatedly about his life as a youtuber. Linda kept encouraging him by asking more questions and Matt's smile only continued to widen. Mihael considered, briefly, that this was unlike any other relationship Matt had had in the past. He wasn't even sure Matt and Linda were dating. It was obvious they liked each other, judging from the way they sat close, hands almost touching but not quite. He could see they were both very aware of their proximity. He wondered, if he left the room, whether they'd kiss. He dismissed the thought almost immediately. If Matt was the one to make a move, he'd have made it the previous day. He definitely hadn't, though. Mihael would just hope Linda would make a move.

The conversation suddenly shifted and Mihael found himself distracted once more, unable to focus on his music. Matt was now asking Linda questions about her gaming company, about the sequel they were working on and if there was any way he'd be able to play the sequel before its official release, please? "I have a copy of the game with me right now," Linda said suddenly.

Matt's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?"

"Yeah, I have it in my bag, I think." She said. She turned to her side and dug around in her bag until she found what she'd been looking for. She showed Matt the CD. "We'd completed the development almost a week back, before we announced the sequel. It hasn't been tested for bugs and it's likely to undergo some changes, but nothing too drastic."

Matt reached his hand out to take the CD but suddenly paused. "Uh, can I?"

Linda laughed and nodded. "Go ahead."

He took the CD from her and inspected it with widened eyes.

"You can play it." Linda said. "On one condition, though." She smirked when Matt gave her a questioning look. "You're only allowed to play it when I'm around."

Matt grinned. "You're going to have to come over every single day, then. I usually don't stop until I've finished a game."

Linda looked thoughtful for a moment. Then, she said, "Well, my job is pretty much done, so it's not like I'm busy. I'm okay with that. And besides, you can act as our tester."

"We could start it now," Matt suggested. Linda simply nodded.

Mihael took that as his cue to get up and leave the room. He made sure to slam the door shut loudly behind him, just to make a point. He didn't think Linda and Matt cared, because all he heard was giggling behind him. He groaned inwardly.

-x-

True to her word, Linda became an almost constant presence at Matt and Mihael's apartment. It wasn't a problem for Matt, who looked forward to playing the game with her and even going so far as to clean up the room and apartment before she came. Mihael was not too pleased with the arrangement, because it meant he'd have to take to sitting in the living room and writing his music. It was annoying, because he was often a lot more creative in his room, as compared to the living room. Despite his annoyance, however, he never yelled at Matt for hogging the room for himself. It was the first time he'd seen Matt look so happy. Matt really did like Linda, and it showed. As much as Mihael hated love and romance and anything associated with it, he couldn't help but smile just a little when he'd take a peek at the two of them, still sitting impossibly close to each other, shoulders brushing, yet not going any further. It was frustrating, but it was cute.

-x-

Three whole days had gone by and Nate still hadn't contacted Mihael. He knew Nate had mentioned it could take longer than two days, but still. Common decency dictated that Nate at least text him or call him to inform him of the situation. That's what agents did, right? He picked up his phone, stared at it. He considered texting Nate, just to follow up. He dropped the idea almost instantly. He didn't want to seem like a pushover.

This was ridiculous. He couldn't believe he was actually waiting for Nate to text him. He was anxious to know of Takada's response, and at this point, Nate was his only means of knowing anything. Would he get the gig? Did she even like the demo? It didn't take three days to listen to three songs, did it? Why hadn't she contacted Nate? Or had she contacted Nate and he'd simply forgotten to inform Mihael? No, that wasn't right. Nate was his agent; he wouldn't keep him in the dark. Unless, Takada didn't like Mihael's demo and had told Nate as much and Nate just wanted to spare his feelings? He snorted. Yeah, right. As if Nate was nice enough to even consider his feelings. He sighed and threw the phone down beside him. Nate would contact him whenever he had news.

He went back to his music. He just had the final part to go.

-x-

By the end of the week, Mihael was ready with his song. It was the fastest he'd ever composed a song, and he wasn't sure how he even managed it, just that he did. He still hadn't heard from Nate, though. Not like he was checking his phone or anything. He'd purposely left his phone on Matt's computer desk.

Mihael, himself, sat on his bed, guitar in hand while Matt and Linda sat on Matt's bed, waiting. He'd asked Matt and Linda if they'd be willing to listen to his song. Linda had agreed almost instantly. Matt had made a dramatic show of not wanting to listen. Mihael knew Matt was just pulling his leg—it was what Matt always did, whenever Mihael wrote a new song and asked him to listen—but Linda smacked Matt across the arm, telling him that was mean. Matt just looked stunned while Mihael laughed outright.

"I didn't _mean_ it," Matt protested, massaging his arm lightly. "Stop laughing, Mello!"

Linda simply hushed him and looked at Mihael. "Alright, Mihael, go ahead."

Mihael nodded and started playing. Linda listened intently, clasping both her hands together and leaning forward slightly. Matt looked at her and smiled. He brought his attention to his best friend and his smile only widened. He was good, really good. For all his jokes, Matt had always encouraged Mihael to go for his dream. He'd been the one to encourage Mihael to quit his old job—the job he'd been miserable in—and focus entirely on his music. Mihael had been reluctant at first, but after a lot of coaxing from his best friend ("Come on, Mello, you've saved a shit ton of money anyway! It's not like you'll go broke if this doesn't work out!"), he'd relented. And now he had an agent from one of the best agencies in the country. Matt couldn't have been happier.

Halfway through his song, Mihael's phone buzzed. Mihael abruptly stopped playing and stared at the vibrating device currently on Matt's computer desk. He dropped his guitar on the bed and practically jumped up from his bed only to have Matt simply lean forward—almost bumping into Linda—and grab the phone before he could even get to it. Damn Matt's bed for being closer to his stupid desk.

Mihael frowned and brought his hand out. "Give me the phone, Matt!"

Matt simply grinned and stared at the caller Id. "Nate LTA," he said. He met Mihael's eyes. "Your agent, I'm assuming."

"Matt, answer the call before it ends!" Mihael snapped. "I've been waiting since a week!"

Matt laughed and answered the call, putting the phone on speaker. "Hey there, Nate!" He said cheerfully.

There was a brief pause on the other end. Then: "Mihael?" His voice was a little muffled because of Mihael's damaged phone speakers, but it was still audible enough. "Wait, you're not Mihael."

Matt raised his eyebrows teasingly as he looked in Mihael's direction. _He recognizes your voice pretty well, huh._

"Nate! Sorry, that was Matt, my roommate." Mihael said, moving forward and snatching the phone from Matt's slightly loosened grip. He then clicked the speaker off and brought the phone to his ear instead. "Tell me."

Mihael only nodded as Nate spoke and then his eyes widened. Did Nate just say that— "I GOT THE GIG?" There was a moment's pause and then Mihael said, softer, "I'm sorry. That was unexpected."

Matt and Linda's eyes were wide, too. They looked at Mihael expectantly while he spoke to Nate. "Yes, yes, of course! Tomorrow, right? I'll be there. I won't be late!" He nodded along to whatever Nate was saying and then ended the call with a simple, "Bye, Nate." He absently handed his phone out to Matt who simply took it without question.

"Well?" Matt asked. Linda simply looked on, grinning broadly.

Mihael's face split into a huge grin. "They liked my demo! They want to meet me tomorrow, see me perform with their band. If they like it, I'll get the gig."

Matt leapt up from his bed and flung his arms around Mihael's neck. "Congrats, man! I'm so proud of you!"

Mihael laughed and pushed Matt away saying, "I haven't gotten the gig yet, Matt! There's every chance I can still get turned down."

Matt simply stared. "Dude, you're a natural performer. You'll get it!"

Mihael considered that for a moment. With another laugh, he nodded.

"Congrats, Mihael," Linda finally said. The two men looked at her, only now realizing her presence. She shifted uncomfortably in her position and then moved to stand up. She walked closer and brought her hand forward.

Mihael only stared at her outstretched hand for a moment and then held it. Instead of shaking her hand like she'd expected, though, he pulled her into a hug. She was a little surprised but she hugged him back, laughing. He'd spent almost as much time as Matt had with her in the past week and had grown fond of her. He pulled away and grinned. "Thanks, Linda. You'll come to the gig, yeah?"

Linda nodded. "Of course I will!"

Matt walked over to his computer desk and flopped down on one of the chairs. "Well, that was a lot of excitement for today," he said, looking directly at his computer screen, "and now, I'd like to get back to my video game. Linda?"

Linda looked at Mihael who only shook his head and went to pick up his guitar. He left from the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

* * *

'The Solstice' was the club Mihael was supposed to perform at, if he got the gig. It was one of the better known clubs in the city, only ever open on weekend nights and almost always had a huge crowd. He'd once been to the club on a Friday night with Matt and he'd seen the way the crowd went crazy over the performances. He'd often wondered how it'd be like to perform for such a huge crowd, have the crowd go wild over one of _his_ performances.

He stood at the entrance, guitar case strapped across his shoulder, staring at the 'closed' sign on it. Of course, it was no wonder they'd be closed on a Wednesday morning. Nate still hadn't arrived and so Mihael took to leaning against the wall, arms crossed against his chest. It was a warm day and he'd decided to wear a simple pair of jeans and t-shirt instead of his usual leather attire. Even _he_ had a tolerance limit.

He spotted Nate's car ten minutes later, driving into the parking lot. A few minutes later, Nate was walking up to him. Mihael gave a wave of his hand as greeting. Nate simply nodded and stopped in front of him.

"It's closed." Mihael commented, pushing himself off the wall and looking pointedly at the sign.

Nate stared at it and then frowned slightly. "I was told the manager would be in today." He pulled his cell phone out and dialed a number. There was no response from the other line. "That's strange," he muttered as he shoved the phone back into his pocket.

The door to the club opened suddenly, startling both men. A blonde haired woman stood in the entrance, smiling at the two of them. "Hey, you must be Nate and Mihael." She said. The two men simply nodded in response. "I'm Merrie Kenwood, the manager. Please come in." She stepped aside, indicating the two men to enter.

Mihael entered first, Nate following close behind. Mihael found that the club looked incredibly different during the day time. It was still very huge and he could see the stage in front of him and the bar to his side. The stools were all stacked over one another and pushed to one corner. He could hear the faint sound of music floating through the door behind the stage area. He'd never even known there was a room there. The curtains were always covering it. Now, he saw, they were pushed to one side and tied up.

"What's that sound?" Nate asked before Mihael could say anything.

Merrie looked behind her, towards the door the two were staring at. "Oh, that? That's the rehearsal room. Our band practices there. Sometimes, other performers use it for some last-minute practice sessions before their gig." She walked up to it and pushed the door open, peeking inside. "Hey, boys! Come on out!"

She turned around and walked back, followed a moment later by three men. Two of them looked to be about Mihael's age, while one looked to be in his early thirties. They stood awkwardly, staring at Mihael and Nate.

Merrie looked at Mihael and said, "This is our band, Mihael." She looked over her shoulder at the three men then. "That's Ed, Miller and that's Mark." She gestured at each of them as she introduced them. The three men nodded a greeting at Mihael. She then addressed her band, turning around fully to face them. "Boys, that's Mihael. He's the performer I was telling you about."

"The dude you called us here for, on an _off_ day?" Mark asked, scowling.

Merrie shook her head and looked at Mihael. "I liked your demo a lot, Mihael. Unfortunately, we usually only have bands perform on Friday nights, you know? That's the vacancy we have. Are you alright performing with our band? Nate told me you don't have your own."

Mihael glanced at Nate once, then back at Merrie. "Er, that's alright. It's just…"

"What's the matter?" Mark cut in, "you don't think we're good enough for you? I'll have you know, we bring in a pretty good audience even when we perform without any specific singer."

Mihael frowned. "That's not what I was going to say. I know musicians usually have accompanying bands while performing. It's just," he looked at Merrie, "when's the gig going to be? I'll need to practice with them; they'll need to learn the songs."

"Pretty boy," Ed said, speaking for the first time, "you gotta get the gig first."

Nate observed Mihael's expression on being referred to as 'pretty boy.' He was disappointed to note that Mihael wasn't offended in the slightest. He was actually smirking a little. Nate shook his head. He knew _he'd_ have been offended if someone were to call _him_ that.

"Right, I totally forgot about that," Merrie said. "Mihael, I'd like to see you perform with my boys." She noticed Mihael's confused look and simply said, "Don't worry, I had them listen to your demo already." She started walking towards the rehearsal room.

"Yeah, we're always ahead of schedule," Ed said, shooting a grin at Mihael as he turned to follow Merrie. Mark and Miller simply snorted.

Mihael grinned and walked after them, entering the rehearsal room. Nate entered a few moments later.

-x-

Nate leaned against the door and watched as Mihael sang, accompanied by the band. He was amazed at how the additional instruments seemed to further enhance Mihael's performance. Merrie walked up to him and said, "I like his performance." Nate only grunted in response. "He's got _some_ presence." She looked at the band and saw Mihael gesturing something to Ed—the guitarist—and Ed seemed to instantly pick up on whatever it was Mihael was trying to convey, adjusting his chords accordingly. "He also seems to be getting along with the band."

"Yeah, he is." Nate said quietly, still looking at his client. He finally met Merrie's eyes. "He's getting the gig, right?"

Merrie laughed. "That's not even a question. It's like he naturally knows how to draw people towards him, you know?" She had a playful smile as she added, "Tell you what, if the audience likes his performance, I'll give him another gig."

Nate raised his eyebrows. "You mean that?"

Merrie simply nodded. She shifted her attention back to Mihael and the band. They'd stopped playing and were now talking. Well, Mark was doing most of the talking, while Mihael, Ed and Miller listened. "Alright, boys!" She called out. They immediately looked at her. Mihael looked particularly anxious. He met Nate's gaze, who only nodded silently at him. "Mihael," Merrie continued, "You've got the gig." She'd said it so simply, so calmly that it took Mihael a moment to process the words.

"I did?" He asked, eyes widening.

Merrie nodded, smiling. "I'd be stupid to not give you the gig."

Ed slapped Mihael on the back. "Congrats, buddy!" He said cheerfully, while Mihael's face broke out into a huge grin. Ed then looked at Merrie. "He'll need to rehearse with us, won't he?"

Mark groaned. "We'll have to rehearse on off days!"

Merrie simply said, "Well, the gig is two weeks from now, so yeah, you'll have to rehearse." She looked thoughtful. "Do you perform next weekend?"

It was Miller who answered. "Nah, you've got booked gigs for next week."

"What about this weekend?" She asked.

"Nah, why'd you think Mark was crying about his off days? We had nothing for these two weeks."

"I wasn't crying! We just deserved the break, alright?" Mark protested. No one paid him mind.

Merrie clapped her hands together. "Great, so you have all of next week and the week after to rehearse! You lot are free to decide on the time, you know you've got free reign over that." She looked at Nate and said, "You and I can discuss the payment outside, while they decide on their rehearsal arrangements."

Nate nodded and looked at Mihael. "Mihael, I'll be outside." Mihael only nodded and continued speaking to the band. Nate felt only a little annoyed at his dismissal. Mihael hadn't even _thanked_ him for getting him the gig. He knew it was his job, but still, his other clients had always been grateful to him.

He sighed and followed Merrie outside, but not before hearing Ed call out, "Can we use the bar after rehearsals?" and Merrie's simple, "Don't drink yourself to death, though! I need my band alive and kicking!"

* * *

Mihael spent the next two weeks relentlessly practicing. If he wasn't rehearsing with the band, he was rehearsing back at home. Matt and Linda had silently agreed that they'd not be having their gaming sessions for the next two weeks, until Mihael's gig was over. They, instead, started spending time at Linda's apartment and had also decided to do some kind of campaigning for Mihael's upcoming gig, visiting the cafes he'd managed steady audiences at, telling them about his gig at the club and encouraging them to attend as well. They didn't want Mihael to know of it, however, and so they disguised their outings as nothing more than dates.

Nate was a part of almost every rehearsal session Mihael had with the band. He'd sit on a chair in the corner while Mihael sang and practiced with the band. He'd quietly observe the way Mihael got along with them, the way he spoke with them and the way he laughed so openly around them. It was quite unlike how he acted around Nate. He wasn't even sure Mihael had even cracked a smile around him. He was usually just frowning or being pissed at Nate. He couldn't say he blamed his client for that, though. They had gotten off to a wrong start, after all.

Nate wasn't obligated to be present at any of these rehearsals, considering his job was simply to ensure Mihael got the gig. However, the thought of sitting in his office alone, being subjected to L's constant questions didn't sound as appealing to him. He could have just stayed at home and relaxed, however. He could have also been sending out Mihael's demo to other venues in the city, possibly bigger names than this. Instead, here he was, accompanying Mihael during rehearsals, serving no particular purpose.

Mihael, however, didn't seem to mind Nate's presence, so Nate decided not to think much on it. He'd just think he was being a good agent. He also figured this could be a good way for him to get to know more about Mihael, his strengths and weaknesses, his overall personality. It would only serve to make his work easier in the future.

By the end of every rehearsal—which usually took place during late mornings and went on till mid-afternoons—Mihael and Nate would silently make their way over to the parking lot and after a few quick words, they'd leave.

On Thursday, a day before the gig, however, Mihael and Nate did not go home immediately after the rehearsals. Mihael had insisted that he was hungry and did not want to eat alone, so he'd dragged Nate along with him to the nearest café. It was small and they sat at a table outside, overlooking the street. They ate in silence for a long while before Nate finally said, "You don't seem okay."

Mihael lifted his head and stared at Nate. "What makes you say that?"

"You're silent," Nate pointed out.

"I have been singing for the last five hours, Nate," Mihael said, "I need to give my vocal chords some rest."

"You're nervous." Nate stated.

Mihael snorted. "Yeah, right. I've performed before, Nate. I don't have stage fright, if that's what you're implying."

"Yes, you have performed before," Nate said, "but in cafes, like _these_. You've never performed for as huge an audience as The Solstice receives, however. You're nervous about whether or not they'll like you."

Mihael didn't answer for a moment. He then scowled at his agent and snapped, "Don't try to psychoanalyze me. I'm not nervous, Nate."

Nate simply shrugged. "Alright, whatever you say."

They finished the rest of their meal in silence.

* * *

Mihael _was_ nervous.

He hadn't admitted it out loud to Nate, but as he sat in the rehearsal room along with the band, a couple hours away from his first big gig, he couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that he was, indeed, nervous. His guitar rested against his chair while he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He could hear the band playing something behind him, but he couldn't bring himself to join them. Why the hell was he so damn nervous? Wasn't he a natural performer, like Matt had put it?

The door swung open and in walked Merrie, followed by Nate. Mihael looked up at the two entrants and for some very strange reason, felt a little of his nervousness ebb away when he looked at Nate. He didn't think much on it, however, because the two were approaching him. The band had stopped playing as well.

Merrie stopped a few feet away from them and smiled at Mihael. Nate stood to the side, watching silently. "Mihael, I hope you had enough practice with the boys?" Merrie asked.

Mihael only nodded.

"Good," Merrie said, "you're performing second." She failed to notice the slight widening of Mihael's eyes. Nate didn't miss it, however. Merrie then addressed the band, "You guys prepared?"

"When are we not, Merrie?" Ed responded. Merrie only laughed and turned around to leave the room.

The band resumed their playing while Nate slowly stepped closer to Mihael's chair. Mihael now had his hands on his lap, fingers interlaced. A classic expression of nervousness. "Mihael?" Nate said. The blond looked up at him, trying to hide anything he may have been feeling. Somehow, he figured, it was pointless.

Nate sighed and gave his client a once-over. Mihael had, to Nate's relief, decided to ditch his leather pants. In fact, the only things that were made of leather were his jacket and his boots. He'd dressed in dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt instead.

Nate slowly, carefully, brought his hand out and rested it lightly on Mihael's shoulder. Mihael looked at him in surprise. "You'll be fine, Mihael." He said. "Of course, it's normal to be nervous. But, don't be. I'm sure you'll perform well."

"I'm not nervous," Mihael mumbled, not moving Nate's hand away. "Okay, maybe just a little bit."

Nate's lips twitched in amusement at the half-hearted admission. "Like I said, don't be. I've been attending your rehearsals, and those were good. This will be no different."

Mihael nodded. He then looked his agent over and said, "Why the hell are you dressed so formally at a club, Nate?"

Nate frowned, finally moving his hand away. He looked down at his attire and then back at Mihael. "I'm at work."

Mihael shook his head in amusement, the feeling of nervousness leaving him entirely. "At least lose the tie and the coat then."

"I'll see you outside," Nate muttered, ignoring him and turning around to leave the rehearsal room. Mihael allowed himself a small smile at that.

-x-

The crowd was huge and they were cheering and clapping loudly when Mihael stepped on to the stage. He assumed the cheering was for the previous performance and not in anticipation of him. Ed, Mark and Miller were already in position, each with their own instruments. The crowd did recognize them, however, and so they did cheer for them. Mihael stood in the center with his guitar in position, the lights from above completely blinding him. He blinked several times until he could see normally again. His eyes fell on Matt and Linda who were sitting at the bar, waving out to him. Mihael smiled at them. He noticed Nate standing further away, looking down at the glass he was holding. He'd gotten rid of his tie and coat. Mihael smirked.

Mihael was also a little surprised to find Cindy along with some other familiar faces from other cafes he'd performed at. He knew Matt had something to do with that.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Ed said from behind him, bringing his face closer to the mike, "We have a new performer for you today! His name's Mihael Keehl! Please cheer for him and encourage him!"

Mihael couldn't help the huge grin when the audience began cheering. It was directed at him this time. He knew a lot of them were probably drunk and would've cheered at almost anything, but it was still a nice ego boost. He looked over his shoulder and gave the band his signal. They nodded in unison.

The music started and Mihael joined in with his own guitar, bringing his face closer to the mike. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, preparing himself. This was it.

He started singing, and as he did, the audience quieted. The song started slow, with just his guitar and Ed's guitar. Miller then joined in with his synthesizer. It was only when the song picked up momentum and rhythm, accompanied by Mark's drum beats that the audience started cheering and screaming once more.

Nate had been right. This was definitely nothing like his performances at the cafés. This was much, _much_ better.

-x-

When Mihael got off the stage, the audience still hadn't stopped cheering and clapping. They had loved his performance, and had even chanted for him to give a repeat performance. Mihael simply waved at them and thanked them, telling them cheekily to convince the manager to let him perform again if they wanted him to. They'd only screamed harder, clapped harder.

He weaved his way through numerous drunk people before he finally reached his friends. Matt immediately flung himself at Mihael, hugging him tightly and patting his back proudly. He smelled vaguely of alcohol. Mihael hugged him back, his heart still beating fast from the residual adrenaline of his performance—his very successful performance—and slowly pulled away.

"Dude, you were fucking awesome!" Matt exclaimed. He turned around and picked up his glass, downing the rest of his drink and slamming it back on the table. Linda gave him a reproving look but when she met Mihael's gaze, she stood up from her seat and gave him a quick hug, pulling away almost instantly. "You were brilliant out there, Mihael!" She said, smiling widely.

Mihael grinned and then looked over her shoulder at Nate, who was shifting his weight from one foot to another, looking a little uncomfortable. Mihael excused himself from Linda and Matt and walked over to Nate. "How was the performance?" He asked.

"You were good, like I said you'd be." Nate answered.

"Thanks, Nate." Mihael said, catching Nate off guard. Nate gave him a surprised look. "I mean, for getting me this gig."

Mihael then did something very unexpected. He leaned forward and hugged his agent. Nate just stood in place, hands at his side. Mihael knew Nate was probably shocked beyond belief. It was an impulsive action, possibly a result of the high he'd been feeling after his performance. He decided not to overthink it. It was just his way of showing his gratitude to Nate.

He almost expected Nate to push him away, to reprimand him for invading his personal space without his consent but was surprised when Nate simply sighed and placed both his hands on his hips lightly. It wasn't exactly a hug, but it was _something_ , Mihael supposed.

"Don't thank me," Nate said quietly, his voice soft against Mihael's ear, "I'm just doing my job."

* * *

 **A/N: I know, The Solstice is a dumb name and I could've come up with something way better, but I literally tried so many names and this was the only one I liked enough. Anyway, that's the chapter. Sorry, sometimes I suck at ending them properly. I know it was longer than usual, but it had to be done. I hope you guys didn't mind it.**

 **Also, important note now: I know what's supposed to happen, I have the whole fic outlined, but it's the progression from point A to point B that I'm now having trouble with. So, the next update might come around a little late, while I try to figure stuff out.**

 **Anyway, please keep leaving me your feedback. I'm not lying when I say it really motivates me.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Well, I'm back. I'd like to apologize for the delay, but if you're following me on tumblr (lawlietsjustice, if you're interested), you'd know that I've been dealing with a lot of shit. For starters, I went through a period of self-loathing, maybe relapsed on my depression and I've also been stressed out because I travel to the US in January for my Masters and I need to get a student loan, but the bank is making my life absolute hell and all of that, consequently, led to a serious writer's block. Not exactly a writer's block, but I wrote what I felt like, and at that particular time, I didn't feel like writing this particular fic. I've also been down with the flu so that sort of added to the trouble.**

 **Anyway, enough ranting. Thank you for sticking with this fic and I hope you like the chapter. I mean, it did take me about 20+ days to get out, but I'm not sure how it's actually turned out.**

 **Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Ohba and Obata. I only own my idea.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Polite**

Nate was, admittedly, a little embarrassed when he slowly pulled out of Mihael's embrace. He took a few steps back, wanting to put as much distance as possible, without making it seem like it.

If Mihael noticed, he didn't care. He wasn't even embarrassed. He simply looked over his shoulder at Matt and Linda and called out to them. The two got up from their seats and walked up to him. Matt slapped Mihael's arm when he was close enough. Mihael frowned and moved away. "You're drunk." He pointed out.

Matt simply laughed and said, "Good catch, man!"

Mihael looked at Nate and said, "Nate, these are my friends, Matt and Linda."

"I know," Nate answered, nodding in acknowledgement at the two of them. Linda smiled at him while Matt grinned widely. "We've met already."

Mihael raised an eyebrow at that. "You did?"

Matt moved forward suddenly and slung his arm around Nate's shoulder. "Of course we did! We spoke while you were up there, setting the stage on _fire_!" He exclaimed, squeezing Nate's shoulder good-naturedly. Nate cringed at the contact, trying to surreptitiously move away from Matt. Matt only tugged him closer against him.

Mihael noticed the way Nate was trying his best to move away from Matt, the physical contact clearly making him uncomfortable. He stepped forward and said, "Right, of course," grabbing Matt's sleeve and pulling him away. Matt made a small sound of protest, but other than that, he said nothing. Nate shot Mihael a grateful look. Mihael only nodded and then looked at Linda, asking, "How much has he had to drink?"

Linda massaged her head slightly, frowning. "I've lost count, honestly. He just wouldn't stop, no matter what I said. All he said was, 'it's Mello's first ever gig and I'm allowed to have a good time!' And then he downed shots." She shifted her gaze to where Matt was supposed to be but instead she saw him walking back to the bar. She swore.

Mihael snorted. "He's such a jackass." He had a playful smile on his lips as he added, "How do you even like him?"

Linda shrugged in response. "When he's not being an obnoxiously drunk guy, he's pretty entertaining, you know?" She sighed when she saw Matt grabbing a glass filled with amber liquid. "I need to stop him." She shot a look at Mihael. "I might need your help, though."

Mihael looked at Nate. "I'll just go handle that," he said. Nate only nodded. Mihael gave his agent another look and then he turned around, walking towards Matt.

Nate watched him snatch the glass away from Matt, downing the drink himself. He didn't think that was any better, but who was he to comment? Mihael had given his first successful performance. He deserved to celebrate with his friends. He watched as the members of the band approached Mihael a few moments later. He also saw the girl from the café—Cindy, her name was, if he remembered correctly—approach Mihael, too. She reached out and hugged him, smiling widely. The rest were all slapping him on the back, congratulating him as well.

Yeah, he'd just let Mihael enjoy his time with people he actually liked.

-x-

Nate stood leaning against a wall on the farthest part of the club, observing the band that was presently playing on stage.

He watched as the lead singer waved out to the audience, pointing the mike at them, asking them to sing along with him. They did, and then they screamed and cheered once more when he brought the mike back towards himself. He was so very energetic, the way he moved all around the stage with the utmost confidence. He'd been doing this often. He knew what it took to be a successful performer, to hold on to the audience and to engage them.

Belatedly, Nate realized that Mihael's performance, while good, wasn't quite on the same level. Mihael had been energetic too, yes. He'd moved around the stage, he'd smiled and winked at some of the girls in the front, he'd made them cheer and scream much like this band did. The only difference, Nate supposed, was the level of confidence. Mihael was nervous and it was evident, no matter how much he'd tried to deny it. It wasn't quite as obvious to anyone else, but Nate had seen Mihael sing at the café. He'd been free and confident over there, singing with ease. Of course, it was only his first big gig, and Nate wouldn't write Mihael off so easily. He knew that with time, his client would be just as good, possibly even better than this band.

"Nate!" a faint voice calling out to him snapped him out of his speculations. He looked at the owner of the voice. Kiyomi Takada. He straightened his posture as he watched her approach.

"Hello," he greeted, extending his hand out politely. Takada took it and then dropped it a second later. "I didn't expect you to be here," Nate added.

Takada shrugged. "Well, it's a weekend night, and I do usually go out clubbing. I figured I could drop in here." She looked over her shoulder at Mihael, who was chatting animatedly with his friends and some girls who'd approached him, then looked at Nate once more. "I'm amazed. He was pretty good. Merrie liked him, too. She was talking about wanting to give him another gig, except she'd have to work out a vacancy in the bookings."

"That can be figured out," Nate said simply. He looked over at his client. "And of course Mihael was good. I'd told you so, hadn't I?" He then brought his gaze back to Takada, a perfectly serious expression. "Can you not talk to your boss?"

Takada widened her eyes. "You mean Hard Rock?" Nate only nodded. "Listen, Nate, he's good, I'll give him that, but he's got no experience. I will talk to my boss, I can do that, but he's not going to be impressed. He never is. He likes to go for the more popular ones, you know?"

Nate sighed. "Yes, I know." He resisted the urge to twirl his hair.

Takada patted his shoulder lightly. "Hey, just keep doing your job, get him more gigs, and I'll see what I can do, alright?"

"Of course," said Nate. "I've already got a few numbers from Merrie. I'll be speaking to them soon." He noticed that Takada wasn't exactly paying attention to what he'd just said. She was looking over shoulder once more—at Mihael, _of course_ she was looking at him. He shook his head, frowning. "Instead of admiring my client from afar like that, why don't you just go and talk to him?"

Takada looked at him. "Oh, uh…" She bit her lip. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare. It's just that he's _really_ attractive and I cannot stop admiring him, to be honest."

Nate felt a sudden surge of irritation. "Don't let me keep you, then."

"I didn't mean—,"

"Nate, there you are!" Mihael's sudden appearance cut off whatever it was Takada had been about to say. A moment later, he realized his agent hadn't been alone. He looked at Takada and added, "Oh, hey." She simply smiled in response. The slight color on her cheeks was evident to Nate even in the dim lighting of the club.

"Yes, Mihael?" Nate asked, ignoring Takada for the moment.

Mihael looked at Nate and said, "I just spoke to Merrie. She said she wants to give me another gig here." His eyes looked disbelieving. "Did she speak to you about it?"

Nate nodded. "Yes, I've spoken to her about it. We're working out a schedule." He glanced over Mihael's shoulder for a moment before looking at him once more. "Where is your friend? The drunk one?"

"Matt?" Mihael asked. "Linda's taking care of him, with some added assistance from Ed."

"Right, that guitarist." Nate said. He went silent for a moment. Then, "Mihael, you remember Kiyomi Takada?"

Mihael brought his attention to Takada. He smiled. "Of course I do." He took a step closer. "She's the reason I got the gig to begin with, isn't she? I can't thank you enough!"

Takada smiled, shaking her head in embarrassment. "No, you don't have to thank me!" It was no surprise that she was blushing now.

"Yes, you don't have to thank her," Nate said suddenly, crossing his arms across his chest. Takada and Mihael shot him a surprised look. "You got the gig because of your _talent_ , nothing else."

"Er, yeah…" Takada said awkwardly. "Nate's right. This was all you."

"Well, you agreed to listen to my demo, didn't you?" Mihael argued, giving Nate an annoyed look. "If she hadn't even agreed in the first place, I'd have not gotten this gig. I give credit where it's due."

Nate looked away. "I'm sure I'd have figured out another way to get you this gig, though." He muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Mihael ignored his words and focused on Takada instead. "Honestly, thank you. No matter what Nate says—he can be a right _ass_ sometimes—I owe you, too."

"You're welcome," said Takada, letting go of some of her discomfort from before. "Helping you was my pleasure."

"Maybe you could continue helping me out, then." Mihael said, voice lowering slightly. There was a playful edge to his voice, one that Nate instantly recognized. His client was trying to chat up Takada, and judging by how she was already smitten, it wasn't that hard a task, either.

Of course, Nate couldn't quite understand why Mihael would require Takada's assistance, considering he _already had_ an agent. The obvious answer would be that Mihael liked Takada. He probably found her attractive, too.

Still, Mihael didn't have to ask her to _help_ him out. There were other ways of chatting someone up, weren't there? Mihael's casual flirting, however unintentional, implied that Nate was useless to him, which Nate couldn't quite tolerate.

"I wouldn't mind," Takada's voice was low, too. It matched Mihael's tone perfectly.

Nate let out a short cough. Mihael and Takada both turned to look at him. "Er," began Nate, flushing slightly, "Sorry." He then pulled his phone out of his pocket, staring at the locked screen. "I should probably get going. It's getting late." He looked at Mihael. "I'll contact you when I've spoken to some of my contacts."

"You're leaving already?" Mihael asked. "It's not even midnight, Nate."

"I have work to do," Nate said. He looked at Takada. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. Mihael's right, you did help. So, thank you."

Takada nodded, smiling. "It's alright. I understand. I like the faith you put in Mihael, Nate." Nate said nothing, simply nodding along to whatever Takada was saying. At the last sentence, however, his eyes widened slightly.

Mihael laughed. "Faith in _me_?" He poked Nate with his finger. The action would've been teasing, had it not been for Mihael's almost accusatory tone. "I don't quite recall him saying that to me while he had me sign the contract, though. You didn't, did you, Nate?"

"I'll be leaving now," said Nate, pushing past Mihael and heading towards the entrance of the club.

He thought he heard Mihael call out to him, but he couldn't really be sure, what with all the noise in the club. He continued walking until he felt someone fall into step beside him, hand reaching out to grasp his arm. He stopped and looked to his side, eyebrows arched in question.

"Sorry about that," Mihael said. "I didn't mean to sound like an ungrateful bitch." He looked over his shoulder at Takada standing alone. He met her eyes for a brief moment before looking back at Nate. "Why don't you stay for a while? We all can grab a few drinks. You know, celebrate."

Nate looked unsure. "Why do you need me around to celebrate? You can do that with your friends. You know, the people you _actually like_. I'm just an _ass_ , aren't I?"

Mihael winced. "Well, to be fair," he began, "You _do_ tend to act like an ass most of the time. You can't exactly deny that, Nate."

Nate said nothing. Mihael took that as answer enough.

"And, well, you _are_ the reason I got the gig— _and so was Kiyomi_ —so I figured it'd only be polite for me to ask you to stick around. I asked her, too."

"Maybe some other time," said Nate. "Not tonight. I'm tired and I have work tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's a Saturday," Mihael pointed out. "No one has to work on a weekend."

Nate only shrugged. "I do." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "You don't have to try and be _polite_ to me, Mihael. You're not obligated to. So, feel free to celebrate with Kiyomi Takada and all of your other friends."

He realized then that Mihael still had a grip on his arm. He slowly wrenched his arm free and walked away from there.

* * *

Nate had never been turned down by three people in a row. He wasn't used to it and he certainly _didn't want_ to get used to it.

He'd contacted two people on Saturday, because he knew they'd be working on a weekend, but they hadn't even agreed to listen to him. Nate had tried to insist on giving him a chance, if not his client, but they'd remained firm. Besides, they'd claimed, they were already booked for the next few weeks, and it wasn't like they could find a spot to clear out to fit his client. Nate had been irritated, but he'd politely told them he understood and then he'd hung up.

"You're aiming too high, too soon," L had told him later that day, on the phone. That had just pissed Nate off further. He didn't think he was aiming too high. He'd aimed for higher with his previous clients, hadn't he? It had worked. He'd told L as much and L had only laughed and said, "That's the thing, though. They already _had_ a reputation when I sent you to them. It was easier then."

Nate had remained silent, the truth of L's words slowly sinking into his head. He scowled at his boss—not like his boss could actually see it—and said, "What are you playing at, L?"

"I'm not playing at anything, Nate. Like I said, this will help build your own reputation. I'm giving you a chance to shut most of those people up at LTA." L answered. Nate could practically feel the amusement radiating off the phone.

"I never cared about what they said, one way or another." Nate said dismissively.

"I never said you did," L said, " _I_ care, though. That's why I put you up to this. Prove yourself, once and for all. Prove that you're worthy of the position you've been given at my agency."

Nate sighed. "I guess I'll aim a little lower, then."

"Fantastic," said L. There was a momentary pause in conversation as Nate heard L chewing on something on the other end. He scrunched up his nose in slight disgust. Then L said, swallowing thickly, "Try contacting Will, the one who books gigs for Utopia. I'm sure you have his number. You'd met him when you were working alongside me. And worst case scenario, if they refuse to entertain you on the phone, just land up there. Speak to them personally. Take your client along, if you must."

"Will was next on my list," Nate said. "I'll speak to you later." He hung up, barely catching L's muffled 'goodbye.'

Nate's conversation with Will had gone along the same lines as his conversations with the previous two he'd spoken to. Will had told him there was no vacancy, but he'd also informed Nate of a few clubs he could try out. "They're not huge names, of course, but they're _good_. I'd suggest paying them a visit."

"Yes, thank you." And then Nate ended the conversation. He'd never been one for polite hellos or goodbyes. He was also pissed. He _knew_ his client was good, yet none of these people seemed to want to believe him. The least they could have done was at least agree to _listen_ to the demo, couldn't they? Nate now realized that he _did_ owe a considerable amount to Takada. He hadn't realized before that her agreeing to listen to Mihael's demo and then pass it on to Merrie had been instrumental in getting Mihael a gig at one of the better known clubs.

Now, however, he was stuck. He could've used Takada's influence again, but he was suddenly not very interested in that particular prospect. He had been, right until Mihael had suggested she help him out. Then it became a matter of pride and Nate was determined to not make use of her assistance. He knew he was acting rather irrationally, and that the best way to get his client gigs at good clubs was to, indeed, make use of Takada's contacts. Still, Nate would try everything possible before he succumbed and asked her to put him through to some of her private contacts.

Irritatingly, he realized, he was half hoping _Mihael_ would convince her to help him out regardless, just so that _he_ wouldn't have to, but there was also a part of him that _didn't_ want Mihael to ask for her help. He wasn't sure why that was. It was probably his pride, Nate rationalized.

It was with that thought in mind that he dialed the next number on his list.

-x-

Merrie Kenwood contacted him on Sunday. She had finally figured out a vacancy in her bookings. It was supposed to be three weeks from the present day. That wasn't too far off.

That still left three weeks as interim.

He needed to speak to more people, and soon.

* * *

On Monday morning, Nate was awoken by the rather incessant ringing of his phone. It wasn't his alarm. Nate's internal clock was in perfect sync with his alarm, and his body told him that it still wasn't done sleeping. Groaning, he reached his hand out and grabbed his phone off the nightstand. He blinked several times, trying to clear his vision and then answered the call.

"Nate River," He croaked. It was still too early for him to be awake.

"Nate!" Mihael's loud voice pierced his eardrums. He winced.

"What is it?" Nate said, sitting up slowly, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. "Is there a problem?"

"Not quite," said Mihael, "I just found out about this club—Indigo—that's going to be opening next month, and I was wondering if there's any way you could get me a gig there? I know it's a month away, but I'm assuming they'll be open to bookings already."

Nate sighed. "Mihael," he began, "I'm barely awake at this point."

There was a brief pause. Then, "Shit, it's still too early."

"Yes." Nate said. "I'll call you back in a few hours."

"Yeah, alright," Mihael said by way of apology, "I just got excited when I read about the opening night, that's all. That club's owned by some pretty big businessman."

"I understand," Nate said, and there was a sudden softness to his voice. "I'll see what I can do."

-x-

After numerous phone calls over the weekend, Nate had finally managed to speak to the manager of one of the clubs Will had mentioned. The manager had been reluctant at first, of course, but then Nate had mentioned how _L_ had taken a special interest in his client, that _L_ had specifically assigned this client to Nate and he'd claimed that he'd seen potential in his client. That was all it took. The manager had then agreed to listen to Mihael's demo and personally meet them.

Nate had also conveniently managed to get more copies of Mihael's demo from Aiber, ("It's no trouble for me, Nate, because like I said, your agency is the only one that gives me any business anymore!" he'd said, laughing.) Aiber had had them sent to Nate's house directly. Nate was grateful. He'd then had one of the demos sent to the manager.

-x-

Mihael had, _unsurprisingly_ , managed to charm the manager during their meeting on Wednesday. The manager—Joseph, his name was—had invited them over to his apartment. When Mihael and Nate had entered, the first thing he'd greeted them with was, "I heard your demo. It's good, but I'd like to see you play live." He'd then eyed the guitar strapped to Mihael's back. There were no niceties; no polite hellos, welcomes, or any offers for beverages. Mihael thought that was rude, Nate didn't care one way or another. They took their seats in the living room. Joseph was sprawled out rather inappropriately on the sofa, thus leaving Mihael and Nate to sit side by side on the couch opposite.

"Of course," Mihael answered when he'd made himself comfortable. He almost elbowed Nate in the side when he moved to take his guitar off his back and Nate quickly moved away. Mihael shot him an apologetic look before unzipping the cover and pulling his guitar out. He set it into position, trying to avoid elbowing Nate again.

"Oh, could you play track two?" Joseph said suddenly.

Mihael blinked. He then nodded. "Yeah, alright." He began strumming but was interrupted once more.

"Oh, your demo was acoustic. Do you perform acoustic? Is your guitar acoustic? Do you have any accompanying band?" Joseph asked.

Mihael looked at Nate once, then back at Joseph. "Well, I don't have a band," he started cautiously, "I could rent out a band for the performance, though." He looked at Nate again, as though asking him if he could, indeed, rent a band for his performance. Nate nodded, and Mihael continued, "This guitar's acoustic, but I've got a semi-electric too. It's back home."

"You don't have to rent a band out," Joseph said dismissively, "you can perform solo. It doesn't matter. We've had plenty of solo performers. They're usually the ones starting out in the industry." He then closed his eyes. "Alright, go on."

Right. Of course.

Mihael played the guitar, performing the track Joseph had specifically asked him for. When he was done, he noticed Nate had his eyes closed, too. He thought it was strange. He poked Nate in the arm. Nate's eyes jerked open. He looked embarrassed. "Didn't get enough sleep?" Mihael asked him.

Nate mumbled something.

"Come again?" Mihael asked.

"Nothing," Nate snapped.

Mihael decided to drop it and instead focused his attention on Joseph. He looked thoughtful, thumb and forefinger rubbing his chin. "Hmm," He said, and Mihael had to bite the inside of his cheek from saying something rude, "that was…nice."

Mihael remained silent. He was expecting something more.

"I liked it, of course. Your demo, I have to say, didn't do complete justice to your voice." Joseph said. "I mean, that was nice, too, but your live performance just sounds better. Perhaps you should have a better demo made, one that does your voice more justice."

"Joseph," Nate cut in, annoyed, "I'll look into that. Can you please tell me about the gig first?"

"Ah," Joseph said, "Yes, yes. I suppose I can give him a shot."

Mihael exhaled in relief while Nate merely nodded. He stood up from his seat, Mihael following his lead—rushing to put his guitar back into the cover and strapping it across his back— and walked up to Joseph. Joseph made no move to stand up.

"Thank you," Nate said, extending his hand out. Joseph shook it violently for a good few seconds and then dropped it. Nate felt like he may have dislocated his shoulder from the force. He hadn't.

They then left from Joseph's apartment and Nate had never been more relieved to have a meeting end.

-x-

"I think he was right about the demo," Nate said as they made their way down the stairs of Joseph's apartment complex.

"That it doesn't do my voice justice?" Mihael asked, smirking.

"It's the quality of the demo, Mihael." Nate said. "Maybe we can try a different studio."

They were silent for a while. When they finally stepped out of the apartment building, Mihael said, "I've written a new song. Would you be up to listening? I could include it in my demo." They were still standing on the top-most step of the building's entrance. Mihael then quickly added, "I mean I already know it's a good song, Matt told me so, but I'd still like your input. You know, since you're my agent and all."

"Sure," said Nate. "I'd like to listen."

* * *

Mihael's second gig, which as at Joseph's club—named _Oasis_ , although it hardly felt like one—went along smoothly. He didn't feel nervous at all, not like he had the first time. Maybe because this club wasn't as reputed as The Solstice was, and even though there had been plenty of drunk people at his first gig, Mihael was almost positive the crowd here was practically _wasted_. He performed with ease, moving around the stage comfortably, his semi-electric in hand, singing with energy and enthusiasm.

Matt and Linda had decided to sit out of this one, Linda claiming that she had some work to do, while Matt had simply given Mihael the classic, "I've been ignoring my channel for over a week, I'm obligated to put up something by tonight!" excuse.

Nate wasn't at the back like last time; he was in the front, cringing away from swaying drunken bodies but still determined to stay where he was. Mihael took the time in between his performance to wave out to his agent. Nate pretended not to notice. He'd just assume Mihael was waving out to the drunk, skimpily dressed blonde woman standing next to him.

When Mihael's performance ended, there was a lot of cheering. Nate quickly moved out of the crowd, finding solace at the relatively empty bar counter. It was ironic, since he'd assumed most of the people to be crowding around the bar. Apparently not. It was the stage area and the dance floor he needed to stay away from.

"Is there a clause in the contract," Mihael said, walking over to him, "that says an agent is obligated to attend all of his client's gigs?" He leaned across the counter, trying to catch the bartender's attention. "A shot of vodka please."

Nate shook his head. "There's no such clause."

"Of course there isn't, it was a _joke_ , Nate." Mihael said, grabbing the shot glass the bartender had placed in front of him. He downed it, not even wincing as the burning liquid went down his throat. "Why do you attend the gigs, then?" He looked at the bartender. "Another one."

Nate shrugged. "There's always the off-chance that you can meet influential people at gigs," he said.

"I see," Mihael said, downing his second shot.

Nate eyed the empty shot glass. "Are you sure you should be drinking? I'm not going to drop you home, Mihael."

"Relax," Mihael said, gesturing to the bartender for another shot, "I can handle three shots. It's no big deal."

"Suit yourself," Nate said, still shooting a disapproving look as Mihael downed his third shot. Luckily, he didn't drink any more than that.

Mihael suddenly pulled his phone out, smiling slightly when he glanced at the screen. He typed something out and then put his phone back into his pocket.

Nate gave him a questioning look. It wasn't his business, really. But he was curious. And Mihael seemed to not mind as he shrugged and answered, "It was Kiyomi. She was just asking me about the gig and how it went."

"I didn't know you two were in touch," Nate said.

"We exchanged numbers that night at The Solstice. I figured I'd keep her in the loop about my gigs, because she told me she'd be trying to hook me up with her boss."

"Right, of course." Nate said, reaching up to twirl a strand of white hair. "That makes sense."

It _did_ make sense, of course. Making connections, building rapports is how you got anywhere in the industry. It was the most obvious thing in the world. It made perfect sense for Mihael to want to keep in touch with Takada, and he also had an added advantage of actually liking her. Nate could see why he'd want to keep in touch.

And suddenly, he was very, _very_ annoyed.

* * *

The weeks leading up to Mihael's third gig—which happened to be at The Solstice again— were more or less a blur.

Mihael rehearsed with the band, following an almost similar schedule as last time, except they only rehearsed thrice a week, because the band was already familiar with Mihael's previous songs. Mihael was, of course, determined to make them learn his new song, the one he'd made Nate listen to, along with Matt and Linda.

He'd felt particularly thrilled—though he'd be damned if he admitted it— when Nate had told him it was good. He'd made no remarks, no suggestions. He'd simply given his approval. Mihael wasn't certain why Nate's inputs even had to matter.

Unlike last time, however, Nate didn't sit in on the rehearsal sessions. He did, however, keep in touch with Mihael through a series of texts. He kept informing Mihael of the various venues he'd found out with vacancies, scattered in different parts of the city. He'd even told Mihael he was looking into that particular club's opening night he'd shown interest in.

' _I'm trying to get in touch with them. I've asked L to put me through to people in-charge.'_

' _Thanks, Nate.'_

' _I'm your agent. This is my job.'_

That's usually how most of their conversations went. When Mihael wasn't rehearsing, he was working on a new song. He'd somehow gotten into the habit of messaging Nate the few lines he'd come up with. Nate would promptly respond. His replies, surprisingly, were never sarcastic like Mihael had expected. Nate would give him genuine feedback, trying not to sound annoying. Mihael smiled at that. At least Nate was taking his feelings into consideration this time. That was something.

He continued sending Nate various messages, most of them lines from his songs, accompanied with the standard, _'Do these fit right? Matt won't respond. Too busy fooling around with Linda.'_ Other times he'd message Nate about venues he was interested in performing at, or venues with vacancies Takada had informed him of, passing on the contact details to him. Those messages tended to receive colder replies. Mihael never understood why.

* * *

Takada was present at Mihael's second gig at The Solstice—his third over all—and so were Matt and Linda. Nate was, of course, present too. He hadn't dressed in his formal attire this time. Not really, anyway. He'd chosen a pair of jeans instead of his trousers. That, in his opinion, made his attire casual, something a lot more fit for a night at the club.

He observed Mihael's performance intently. He was different this time. He was a lot more confident. Nate could see it in the way he moved around the stage. At one point, he even knelt down and extended his hand out to the people in the front. They all tried to grab on to his hand, but Mihael pulled back almost instantly. He stood up once more and continued singing.

"Nate." He felt someone tap his shoulder. Nate reluctantly moved his eyes away from Mihael's performance and towards the person. He almost rolled his eyes.

"L." He said. It wasn't really a greeting.

"I've brought a friend," L said, looking over his shoulder and gesturing to someone. A moment later, another man joined his side. Nate snorted derisively. L frowned at him. "Be nice, Nate."

"Your friend," Nate said, looking the newcomer up and down. "Hello, Yagami."

Light smiled, pushing his hands into his pockets. He glanced at the stage. Mihael was almost ending his performance. "Your client?" He asked curiously.

Nate followed his gaze and nodded. "Yes. He's my client." He then looked at L and added, "Why did you bring Yagami here, L?"

"Light was generous enough to inform me that he personally knows the owner of the club," L said, shrugging nonchalantly, "the one you spoke to me about."

"And he's going to help my client get a gig there?" Nate asked disbelievingly. "I highly doubt it. He's never known to be selfless."

Light frowned. "I'm just trying to be nice, Nate. I'm getting Sayu a performance there. It's, of course, easier for her, considering she already has an album out. I'm trying to pull some strings for you."

"I'd rather speak to the owner directly." Nate said, crossing his arms across his chest in an act of defiance.

"He won't listen. He's picky. He admires me, however, so he'll listen to me. Think about it, Nate." Light said. He glanced at Mihael. He was currently getting off the stage and heading towards the bar, towards his friends, a huge smile on his face. "L told me your client really wants it. I can do it."

Nate narrowed his eyes. "What's the catch?"

"No catch," Light said, smiling easily. "Just think of it as me trying to make up for things."

"Fine, speak to him then." Nate said. He looked at L. "I'll see you later."

"Going to your client?" L asked knowingly. "Tell him I liked his performance, by the way. Tell him I'd been right about him."

"Isn't it too early for you to say that?"

"Are you disagreeing, Nate?" L said, smirking now. Nate scowled and turned around, refusing to respond, heading towards the bar counter, where Mihael was.

He stopped just a little distance away, the sight in front of him taking him by surprise for some strange reason. Mihael leaned forward to hug Takada—which was _normal_ for him, he'd probably hugged everyone else—but then when Takada pulled away, she didn't move her arms away. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. Then she suddenly pulled away entirely, as though burned, her cheeks flaming. She quickly turned around and gestured for the bartender to fix her a drink.

Mihael only stared at her, unsure. Matt hooted, earning a glare from Linda. He wasn't drunk this time— _thankfully_ —but Nate supposed there wasn't much of a difference between drunk Matt and sober Matt.

He slowly walked up to them. "Mihael," he said. Mihael looked at him. Takada still refused to turn around to face them as she sipped on her drink. "I just spoke to L. You're most probably going to get the opening night gig at Indigo."

"Fuck, really?" Mihael breathed. Nate nodded. "That's…that's _incredible_!"

"L even said he liked your performance," Nate said, "He wanted me to let you know."

"Wait a minute, _L_ was _here_? He saw _my performance_?" Mihael asked, eyes widening. Nate nodded again. "Nate, why didn't you tell me sooner? I would've liked to meet him!"

"I didn't think you wanted to," Nate said, genuinely surprised. "I apologize."

Mihael shook his head but he was laughing. "Fuck," he said, mostly to himself. He reached out and grasped Nate's shoulder, squeezing gently. "Come on, you've got to drink with us tonight. You haven't exactly celebrated with me."

Nate looked uncomfortable. "Not tonight. Later, Mihael." He glanced at Takada. She had finally managed to turn around and face them. "Hello, Kiyomi."

Takada smiled in acknowledgment. She looked at Mihael and said softly, "I'm sorry about that. I probably got carried away."

Mihael laughed, running his fingers absently through his hair. "It's alright. I didn't exactly mind. I was just… _surprised_ , that's all."

Nate cleared his throat. "I'll get going, then." He almost turned around to leave but Mihael grabbed his arm, forcing him to stay in his place. Nate arched a brow. "What?"

"You're not leaving until you give me a day when you can celebrate with me," Mihael said. "You just keep saying later. This isn't about politeness anymore."

"I don't really like drinking," Nate pointed out.

"We won't go drinking then. Just give me a day, Nate." Mihael said, holding on tighter. Nate made an attempt to pull away. Mihael noticed the discomfort on his face and immediately moved his hand away. "So?"

"Fine, next Friday then." Nate conceded. "You really don't have to—,"

"Oh, I'm not going to be paying," Mihael said, smirking, " _You're_ paying. So this _really isn't_ me trying to be polite."

Nate shook his head, the ghost of a smile playing across his lips as he turned around and headed for the exit.

* * *

 **A/N: Can you believe there was a point where I'd only been able to write 200 words for the update, and now it's turned into this monstrous length of a chapter? Yeah, me neither. Anyway, my standard goes, I'm trying my best to get the industry right, but if things seem inaccurate, I'm honestly sorry. I'm researching the crap out of things, I promise it's not because I'm lazy. It's probably because google can only help you so much in the long run.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey, sorry for the ridiculously long wait. I don't particularly think I have any valid excuse, just that I've been in a weird state of mind, where I've not felt like writing. It's like, you know what needs to be written, it's all planned out, yet when the time comes, you just can't get the words out.**

 **Anyway, I won't talk much. On to the update :)**

 **Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Ohba and Obata. I only own my idea.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Stay**

Monday morning found Mihael sitting contently in the living room, sprawled out on the couch, lazily flipping through channels on the television. There wasn't anything particularly interesting on. He decided to settle on a music channel. It was one of that famous pop star's songs. He could _never_ place her name, though, not quite being an avid listener of the genre. He closed his eyes, listening to the music drifting from the speakers. He felt the couch suddenly dip beside him. Without opening his eyes, he said, "Morning, Matt."

Matt sighed, his head resting on the armrest and his legs on Mihael's lap. Mihael slapped his legs away. Matt made a small sound of protest. Mihael only snorted at that. Matt then bent his legs at the knees, sitting up straighter. "I've got to tell you something."

Mihael looked at him. "Shoot."

"Linda and I are dating." Matt said, staring intently for a reaction.

Mihael shrugged, looking at the television screen. "Yeah, I know."

Matt frowned. "How can you know? We only made it official yesterday!"

"Well, I knew you'd eventually date. It's not groundbreaking news, Matt."

Matt reached out and slapped Mihael's shoulder. Mihael shot him a dirty look. "This is big news, Mello! When have you _ever_ seen me in a proper relationship with someone?"

Mihael furrowed his brows, thinking. "Never," He finally answered. "Fuck, you've never been in an actual relationship with someone before."

Matt nodded. "Exactly. Unlike you, I don't just jump into a relationship with someone."

Mihael scowled. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Matt shrugged, resting his legs on Mihael's lap once more. Mihael didn't swat them away this time. He did, however, pinch Matt's calf rather painfully in an attempt to get him to answer. Matt flinched in pain. "Fucker! I've told you not to do that!" He then exhaled. "Well, you've always ended up dating the wrong people, because you never stop to think about your feelings. I don't do that. I always think about my feelings. And well, I like Linda. A lot."

"That's not true." Mihael argued. "I do tend to like the girls when I date them. I can't help it if my attraction to them is so incredibly short-lived."

"Speaking of," Matt began just as he felt something vibrate under his leg. "Your phone's buzzing."

Mihael shoved Matt's leg off of him and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He glanced at the screen.

"Kiyomi Takada?" Matt guessed.

Mihael's eyes snapped to him. "What?"

Matt laughed. "Don't act, Mello. You and I both know you've been texting her quite a lot, ever since your last gig at The Solstice. So, what's the deal? Are you going to date her, too? I mean, she _did_ kiss you."

Mihael's face heated up in embarrassment. " _She_ has a thing for _me_ , alright? And I'm not going to date her, Matt. We did agree to hang out sometime. I could like her, I mean, she _is_ attractive. I don't know. She's someone I'd like to be on good terms with, at the least. And you're wrong, anyway. The text isn't from her. It's from Nate."

Matt's ears perked up. "Your agent? He's one more person you text a lot. I think you text him more than that Kiyomi Takada. If I didn't know he was your agent, I'd think he has a thing for you, too. Is that normal for all agents?"

Mihael's eyes widened. "He only texts me to inform me of venues I can perform at, Matt! Every agent does that."

Matt laughed. " _Alright_ , _alright_. You don't need to get so damn defensive."

"Fuck you." Mihael said. He suddenly stood up, phone clutched tightly in hand. "I'm going inside."

Matt waved a dismissive hand at him.

Mihael stalked off to his room, shutting the door loudly behind him. Once inside, he went over the messages he'd received. He'd lied to Matt. There _had_ been one from Takada, but there had also been one from Nate. Mihael quickly read over Takada's message, typing out a reply and sending it. He then proceeded to read Nate's message. Nate had, of course, informed him of two venues he'd managed to find to book gigs at for Mihael, and along with that, he'd also asked Mihael if he was positive about wanting to 'celebrate' with him.

Mihael smiled, typing out a quick response. ' _Yes. Absolutely positive. Friday, 7 pm._ _Your pick_. _Unless I've got a gig for that day?_ '

Nate was prompt with his reply. _'No gig this weekend. Still negotiating dates. Friday, then. And no, that's alright. You pick.'_

Mihael stared at the message. Nate wanted him to pick the venue? _Lazy ass_ , he muttered, quickly typing out the name of a restaurant he'd often frequented with Matt, back when Matt and he still did dinners. Mihael liked their food, and it wasn't particularly expensive. It wasn't _too_ cheap, either. It was just right. Mihael was sure Nate wouldn't complain too much, considering it wasn't a club.

The phone vibrated a moment later, Nate's response just one single word. _'Okay.'_

And for some very strange reason, instead of having the conversation end there, like it should have, Mihael continued the conversation.

' _I had a few lyrics I wanted to run by you. You free?'_

* * *

Mihael awoke to a pillow hitting him in the face on Friday morning. He angrily grabbed it, shoved it aside and glared at the culprit, not bothering to sit up. "I will kill you, Matt. I will fucking kill you!" It was only after he'd uttered the words that he noticed Linda's presence. He blinked. Then he slowly sat up, pulling his blanket up to his chest— _his very naked chest_ —and clutched it tightly. "Linda? What are you doing here?"

Linda managed an apologetic smile. "Well, Matt called me over. I hope that's okay…?" She trailed off, looking helplessly at Matt.

Matt didn't look at her. He was instead glaring at Mihael, holding something up in front of him. Mihael recognized it as his cell phone. "Your phone. It was ringing." He hissed.

Mihael raised his eyebrows. "Why didn't you answer it, then?"

"I was recording, Mello!" Matt snapped. "I hate distractions, you know that!" Calmer, he added, "Why is your phone on my desk, anyway? The way it constantly keeps buzzing, you ought to keep it next to you at all times. The damn thing distracted me enough to get me killed, _asshole_."

Linda smacked Matt in the arm. "Can you tone it down? He's awake. Just give him the damn phone instead of getting all pissy and get back to your game."

Matt refrained from saying anything further, instead throwing the phone over to Mihael's bed. It landed safely on the mattress, but Mihael shot him a glare regardless. "Careful," He said, grabbing the phone. Matt snorted. Mihael glanced at the phone screen. There were two missed calls from Nate—honestly, _why_ was he even surprised?—and one message.

Mihael decided to read that first. His eyes scanned over the message, his eyebrows furrowing together as he did.

Matt noticed the slight frown that had graced Mihael's lips. "What's up?" He asked with a tinge of concern.

Mihael's head snapped up at that. He shook his head, throwing his phone down next to him on the mattress. He didn't particularly feel like responding to the text. "It's just Nate." He said, shrugging nonchalantly.

"You're frowning," Matt pointed out. "Is it regarding your gig at Indigo? You didn't get it?"

"What? No!" Mihael answered quickly, "Of course I'm getting it. Nate told me so. It's just…" Mihael wasn't sure how he was supposed to tell Matt that Nate—his _agent_ —had cancelled out on their dinner plans for the evening, and that Mihael was, indeed, upset about it. He wasn't sure how he could explain away his apparent disappointment. He shouldn't have even _been_ disappointed. Nate didn't exactly owe him anything—except, of course, getting gigs for him. Nate did, as part of his job, owe him that. "It's just Nate being his annoying self, that's all."

Matt laughed. Linda frowned and said, "He seemed perfectly nice to me. He does a good job for you, Mihael."

Matt looked at Linda and smirked. "You're just saying that because you think he's _cute_ , don't you?" Linda narrowed her eyes at him. "You told me so. It's fine. We're allowed to find other people cute and stuff."

Mihael really, _really_ didn't want to witness this exchange. He still couldn't get used to the idea of Matt being in an actual relationship. It just felt too _weird_. There was no other word to describe it.

"He's cute, yeah," Linda conceded, "But that's not why I find him nice. He is polite when he speaks, he gives you your space, and he doesn't get _obnoxiously drunk_." She stared meaningfully at Matt as she uttered the last two words. Matt smiled sheepishly.

"He's not _that_ polite," Mihael said, breaking his momentary silence. "He actually can be a prick. You're giving him too much credit."

Linda shrugged dismissively. "I don't know. He was nice to me. Maybe _you_ should be nicer to him, Mihael. I mean, you should see the way he sort of isolates himself from everyone, especially when you're with us. It's… _sad_."

Mihael snorted. "He's just antisocial, Linda. He only talks to people out of necessity. I don't think he _wants_ to hang around with us, especially when you have drunk fucks like Matt around." He looked at Matt. "No offense, man."

Matt glared at him. "Too bad, because I _am_ offended." He directed his gaze at Linda. "You should see Mello drunk. You'll know what obnoxious means then."

Mihael scowled at Matt. "Fuck you. I don't even get drunk that easily. I've got good capacity." He then smirked. "Unlike you."

Matt looked ready to argue but Linda reached out and grabbed his arm, effectively stopping him. "Can the two of you just stop?" She said, holding on tighter. Matt sighed and nodded. "Good." Linda let go of his arm. "I'm here to have a good time, not witness two ridiculously sensitive men try to outdo each other."

"I'm not sensitive!" Mihael snapped.

Linda laughed. "You're just proving my point."

Mihael pursed his lips, crossing his arms across his chest. Matt burst out laughing. He leaned forward and kissed Linda on the cheek. "You shut him up. You actually shut Mello up! God, I knew dating you was a good idea!" He was still grinning.

Linda blushed then, attempting to push Matt away. He just leaned in further and kissed her softly on the lips.

Mihael audibly groaned. "Stop making me sick."

Matt's response was to simply flip him off, continuing to kiss Linda. Mihael hoped that Linda would be considerate enough to pull away—she _was_ the sensible one in the relationship, after all—but no such luck. She seemed to have closed her eyes, her hands cupping Matt's face gently. Mihael was disgusted to note that anyone could've been as smitten with Matt, let alone Linda.

The loud ringing of his phone was what finally made Matt and Linda break away. Matt looked annoyed while Linda shifted slightly, smoothing out the tangles in her hair, courtesy Matt's fingers that liked to knot themselves in her hair. Mihael shot them an apologetic look—which, according to Matt, wasn't genuine at all and so he continued glaring— and looked down to his side, eyeing the name on the screen. He sighed, grabbing the phone and answering the call.

"Yeah, Nate?"

Nate's voice was hesitant as he said, "Mihael? I called you. I even sent you a message." A pause. "You didn't respond so I thought I'd call you again."

"I got your message," Mihael said shortly. "I didn't think you were expecting a reply, though."

"Oh," was all Nate could say. He waited, hoping Mihael would say something. When he didn't, Nate sighed and added, "I apologize. I had to commit to a dinner on short notice. It was important."

"Yeah, I get it," Mihael said dismissively, still not quite sure _why_ he was even pissed off. "You don't owe me anything, Nate."

"You sound… _mad_." Nate observed. "I didn't think you'd mind."

Mihael snorted derisively. "I'm not mad, Nate. We can just celebrate some other time or whatever. It's no big deal." Too late, Mihael realized that Matt and Linda were in the room with him, listening in on his conversation. He looked up at them. Sure enough, they both had similar looks of confusion etched on to their faces. Mihael quickly shook his head at them and got off the bed, moving to exit the room. He shut the door gently behind him and then stood with his back against it.

"I still think I do need to explain myself here," Nate said, sounding mildly annoyed, "I didn't cancel out on you on purpose; as I'm _sure_ you're thinking. And do not even try to deny it, Mihael. The reason I can't make it is because I have a meeting scheduled with Indigo's owner tonight. That's what the dinner is about. To talk him into giving you the gig."

"Oh," Mihael said unintelligibly. He suddenly felt very, _very_ stupid. Nate was just doing his job, like he was _supposed_ to.

The two stayed silent for what felt like ages, but was in all actuality, just about a couple of minutes. Nate finally cleared his throat. "We could…" he began, but stopped.

"We could _what?_ "

"We could shift the plan for tomorrow evening." An awkward pause, then: "If you'd like."

And without really thinking, Mihael said, "Yeah, alright."

It was only after Nate had hung up and Mihael re entered his room, dismissing Matt and Linda's questions and throwing himself on the bed, that he realized his mistake.

He already _had_ plans for Saturday evening. With _Takada_. He buried his face into his pillow and groaned.

* * *

When Mihael reached the restaurant on Saturday evening, Nate was already standing by the entrance, waiting for him. For once, Nate didn't look annoyed. A slight smile tugged at his lips when his eyes fell on Mihael's approaching form.

"Interesting choice," Nate said when Mihael was close enough. Mihael raised his eyebrows in question. "Figured you'd take full advantage of the fact that I'm paying and select one of the most expensive restaurants in the city, did you?" At that, Mihael looked embarrassed. He'd not _wanted_ to go for an expensive restaurant, and he'd only been joking about making Nate pay. He was fully prepared to split the bill. Mihael didn't particularly have a choice, though. He had to visit Takada after his dinner with Nate—he'd refused to cancel either plans—and this restaurant happened to be the closest to where he was supposed to meet Takada. It was convenience, really.

Despite his words, however, Nate didn't look like he minded. That slight smile was still firmly in place. It suddenly dawned on Mihael that Nate was trying to _joke_ with him. That thought made him want to laugh at the sheer oddity of it all.

"Absolutely," Mihael said, smirking and playing along. "You cancelled out on me last night, so I decided to make you pay for that." He considered for a moment, then added, "Literally."

Nate's smile faded. He furrowed his brows. "I thought you weren't mad."

Mihael blinked at Nate. "I'm not mad. It was a joke, Nate."

"Oh," Nate said, looking down to his feet. "I thought you meant it."

Mihael shook his head, laughing. "You're ridiculous." He said, turning around to face the door. He waited for the guard to open it before he added, looking over his shoulder, "Besides, this was the closest restaurant to Utopia." He walked inside.

Nate followed after him quickly, curious. When Mihael paused, looking around the restaurant to find empty seats, Nate asked, "Is there a reason you needed to be close to Utopia?"

Mihael continued looking around, before giving up and waving out to one of the waitresses. He then glanced at Nate, who was fidgeting with a lock of hair, and said, "Oh, I'm supposed to be meeting Kiyomi after this. We're going to Utopia, so I figured, you know, save time."

Nate stopped twirling his hair, his hand dropping to his side. "Kiyomi Takada? You're going out with her…like a date?"

Mihael shrugged. "Yeah, you could call it that." He didn't notice the way Nate's posture went rigid all of a sudden, nor did he notice the slight frown on his face. He was focused on the woman approaching them, a wide smile plastered on her face. "Table for two?" She asked politely.

Mihael and Nate nodded in unison.

"Right, follow me." The woman turned on her heel, walking in front of them, leading them over to the table at the far end of the restaurant. She stopped just beside the table, gesturing at it. "Please be comfortable, I'll be back for your order." She gave them another polite smile and left.

Mihael and Nate stood there, staring awkwardly at each other. Nate cleared his throat, muttering, "Right, then," and proceeded to sit down on one of the chairs. Mihael followed his lead, settling down in the chair opposite Nate's. Nate focused his gaze on a spot above Mihael's head. It was just the wall with a small glowing lamp, but Nate felt like it was one of the most interesting things he'd laid eyes on.

Mihael stared at Nate. Was he seriously just going to sit there and stare at the _wall_? He coughed, trying to grab Nate's attention. No luck. Nate's eyes still remained fixated on the wall and so Mihael said, loudly, "Nate!"

Nate's gaze snapped to Mihael's face. "Yes?"

"You can _talk_. I know you're not a fan of it, but you could at least _try_ to make your company enjoyable, you know." Mihael said, annoyed.

Nate nodded. "Yeah, I'll try." He said quietly.

Mihael noticed the sudden change in his expression but before he could really comment on it, they were interrupted by the appearance of the waitress. "Good evening," She said, setting down two menu cards on the table. She then waited, notepad and pen at the ready, for them to give their orders.

Mihael reached for his menu, flipping to the drinks section. His eyes scanned the list. "One Long Island, please." He said, turning the page over and looking over at the starters. The waitress made a note of it, then looked at Nate. "What would your drink order be, sir?" She asked him.

"Oh, he doesn't drink," Mihael mentioned offhandedly, earning himself a glare from Nate. Mihael looked at him in confusion. "What?"

Nate didn't bother responding. He looked at the waitress and said, "I'll have what he's having."

Mihael's eyes widened. "You don't drink, Nate. You told me so."

"I said I'm not particularly fond of drinking. There's a difference." Nate pointed out. "Besides, it's a cocktail. I'm alright with those."

Mihael didn't look convinced. "It's a ridiculously _strong_ cocktail, Nate. At least go for something milder, then. The last thing I need is you getting wasted because of one cocktail."

"You seem to think I've never had drinks before. I assure you, I can handle one cocktail. No matter how strong." Nate said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms across his chest. "I won't get _wasted_ , as you put it. I've never gotten wasted before."

The waitress was following the exchange with a growing sense of unease.

"Fine," Mihael relented, "But if you do get drunk—and I'm _sure_ you will—I'm not going to drive you home."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to not ruin your date," Nate said dismissively.

"As if you could," Mihael snorted, leaning back in his chair as well. He looked at the waitress and said, "Get us our drinks. We'll give you our food order then." The waitress nodded and left. Mihael watched her go. A sudden silence seemed to have descended upon them then, not entirely uncomfortable. Mihael looked thoughtful. He seemed to realize something then and leaned forward once more, hands resting on the table, staring intently at Nate. "How did your dinner go last night?"

Nate looked at him in confusion until it dawned on him. Right, his dinner with Indigo's owner. He couldn't help the look of disdain as he thought back to it. He'd had to endure three hours in the presence of Light Yagami, and that had been absolutely terrible. Jordan, the owner, hadn't been as bad. He was nice to talk to. The problem was, Nate and Jordan barely got to speak. Light kept interrupting the conversations, somehow making every one of them about him. The point of Light being present was that he knew Jordan, and he was supposed to put in a good word for Nate and his client. Instead, all he really did was talk about his own client—his _sister_ —and that was that. By the end of the dinner, Nate had accomplished nothing. Still, Indigo wasn't off the table. He wasn't going to disappoint Mihael. There was still a way for Nate to fix this. "It was…alright." He said carefully.

"Just alright?" Mihael asked, sounding disappointed.

"I'm going to meet him again. Don't worry about it, Mihael." Nate said.

Mihael nodded. They stayed silent until their drinks arrived. When they did, Nate took hold of his glass and tentatively raised it to his lips. He was about to take a sip when Mihael said, "Hey, wait!"

Nate looked at him questioningly.

"We've got to toast," Mihael said, lifting his glass.

"What are we toasting to?"

"Well, about three months ago, I was performing at small cafés, I had absolutely no idea if this musician thing would work out for me, and now I'm here. I've performed at one of the better known clubs twice, and I'm also likely to get an opening gig at Indigo. Thanks to you." Mihael said, grinning. "So we're toasting to that."

Nate smiled, lifting his own glass and letting it clink against Mihael's. Then he took a sip from his drink. "It doesn't taste bad," He commented. He took another sip, a larger one this time. "It actually tastes good. I didn't think alcohol could do that." He took another large sip.

"You need to slow down, though." Mihael said, taking a sip of his own drink. "It's still alcohol."

Nate rolled his eyes. "Here I thought I was drinking regular Iced Tea."

The waitress returned once more, this time for their food orders. Mihael told her what he wanted and when the waitress asked for Nate's order, Nate only took another sip from his drink, asking her to get the same thing Mihael was having. He didn't particularly care, one way or another. He focused on taking another huge sip from his drink.

When they were alone once more, Mihael looked at Nate apprehensively. "Nate, are you sure you can handle that?"

Nate nodded. "I'm fine." He emphasized this by taking another sip of his drink. A small one.

Mihael took a sip from his own drink, keeping a watchful gaze on Nate the entire time. Whether he liked it or not, he _was_ responsible for Nate, if he did end up getting drunk. He realized with some indignation, that he'd have to keep a check on his own drinking. He couldn't drink more than one cocktail. If Nate was so intent on getting himself drunk, Mihael would, inevitably, have to remain sober. He didn't like it, but then again, he figured he could get as drunk as he wanted when he met up with Takada later.

"Near!"

Mihael's head snapped to the direction of the voice. He wasn't quite sure why. It was probably because the name called out was so ridiculous and Mihael just wanted to see who the unfortunate person was, who was being addressed as such. His eyes fell on a slender, short, dark haired girl. There was something very familiar about her appearance. Mihael had the distinct impression that he'd seen this girl before. "Near!" She called out again, louder this time. Mihael realized she was looking at their table. More specifically, she was looking at the back of Nate's head.

Mihael's eyes widened as he looked at Nate. He noticed the way Nate's shoulders had stiffened, his gaze fixed firmly on his drink. The girl called out once more, but Nate showed no indication that he'd even heard. "Nate, I think she's calling you." He said slowly.

"I don't think she is." Nate said. "It might be someone else."

"She's looking at you, Nate."

Nate pursed his lips, still refusing to turn around. He didn't have to, because next thing he knew, the girl was standing at their table, tapping his shoulder lightly. Nate jumped at the contact and looked at her with a very peeved expression. "Yagami." He greeted coldly.

"Sayu," The girl corrected patiently. She frowned then. "Why were you ignoring me?"

"I wasn't ignoring you." Nate clarified.

"You were." Sayu said, sounding almost accusing. "Anyway, what are you doing here? It's been a while."

Nate tilted his head in Mihael's direction. "I'm having dinner, as you can see. So could you please—,"

"Oh, right!" Sayu interjected, her gaze falling on Mihael. "You're his client, aren't you? My brother mentioned you!"

"Your brother?" Mihael asked, eyebrows furrowing.

"Light Yagami? He's my brother _and_ my agent. I'm Sayu Yagami," Sayu brought her hand out. Mihael shook it politely and then dropped it. "You know what's funny?" Mihael shook his head, indicating for her to go on. "I've never known him," she gestured at Nate, "to go out for dinners with his clients. Even when I was his client, he never took me out for dinner."

"You said your brother was your agent?" Mihael said. He looked at Nate, who looked like he was trying his best to not say something absolutely nasty to the unsuspecting brunette. "Nate, you never mentioned her."

Sayu bit her lip. "Well, it's sort of a messy story, I guess. It's not really important, either way. We've all moved past it." She looked at Nate. "Right, Near?"

"Nate," Nate snapped, pinning her with a glare. "It's _Nate_. And this dinner is professional, not that I need to justify that to you, anyway."

Sayu looked taken aback by the venom in his voice. She nodded quickly. "Uh, yeah, I'm sorry. I'll get going." She looked at Mihael and smiled widely. "Good luck on your career. I'm sure you're extremely talented, considering Nea—Nate agreed to be your agent." And then she was off from there, not waiting for Mihael to respond.

Nate continued glaring in the direction in which she'd gone.

"So," Mihael began awkwardly, "That was…weird."

Nate sighed and looked at Mihael. "It's a long story, Mihael. The short version of it all is that she was one of my first clients, and we used to be… _friends_." The last word came out with a lot more bitterness than he'd expected. "And now she's not my client anymore." He took a gulp from his drink.

Mihael had a lot of questions. It wasn't every day that he got a glimpse into his usually anti-social, aloof agent's personal life. Despite being his agent for over two months, Mihael knew absolutely nothing about Nate. He was sure Nate knew all about him, though. It wasn't as though Mihael went to great lengths to keep anything a secret. Nate knew all of Mihael's friends; he knew Mihael had a date with Takada. In return, Mihael knew absolutely nothing. Who were Nate's friends? Did Nate have any love-life? Did Nate ever go out casually, outside of work, or was this the first time? He suddenly recollected Linda's words from earlier, the way Nate kept himself isolated. Was he ever… _lonely_? So many questions, and yet Mihael couldn't find it in him to ask Nate. So instead, he said, "So… _Near_ , huh? What's with that?"

Nate looked at him. For a moment, Mihael thought he'd snap at him, just like he'd done with Sayu. Nate surprised him by smiling slightly. "I was hoping you'd forget about that."

Mihael stared at him. "Nate, I'm not going to forget about that."

-x-

"You know," Nate began, setting his now empty glass on the table noisily, "I tried to get you a gig at Utopia." His words slurred a little, but he didn't seem to notice.

Mihael rolled his eyes. It was evident that Nate was drunk—Mihael didn't bother asking him, he'd deny it anyway—and that seemed to be making his tongue loose. He decided to humor him, because it wasn't usual for Nate to talk much. "Oh? You did?"

Nate nodded rather vigorously. Mihael had to suppress a laugh at the sight. It looked comical. Nate then scowled, remembering something. "He refused, though."

"It's fine," Mihael shrugged, reaching out to grab one of the mozzarella sticks and biting into it. His eyes fell on Nate's plate. He'd barely touched his food. And he'd downed his entire drink. Wonderful.

"It's not!" Nate argued, leaning forward and glaring at Mihael. "He refused to even listen to your demo, despite my insistence that it _was_ good."

Mihael seemed unfazed. "You're getting me Indigo. That's infinitely better."

Nate considered this. He leaned back in his chair, frowning. "I'm not very sure about that…" He mumbled.

That got Mihael's attention. "What's that?"

"What?" Nate asked, looking confused. He then seemed to remember something else. "You know, I know L personally? It's how I got my job at LTA."

This was news to Mihael. He found it strange that Nate seemed to be talking so freely about his life. Not like he was complaining, of course. Mihael _wanted_ to know more about Nate, and if it took alcohol to accomplish that, well, so be it. "You mean your position at LTA is a result of _nepotism_?" He smirked. "That means your position isn't genuine, that you aren't as good as L claimed you were." He'd, of course, meant it as a joke. Mihael didn't doubt that Nate was good. What Nate had managed to accomplish for him, in a little over two months, was something Mihael was honestly grateful for.

Nate, however, took offense. "That's ridiculous. I'm good at my job, Mihael. It's just that while others had to work their way from the bottom, I was given the choice to join LTA directly. I used to assist L with his clients." Nate paused. Then, "Others at LTA found this unfair, of course. Even when L insisted that I'm deserving of my position, they didn't buy into it. I don't blame them."

Mihael nodded in agreement. "It _is_ unfair."

Nate looked at Mihael seriously. "That's the reason I was assigned to you. If I can pull this off, if I can manage to make you as successful as my previous clients already were, I'll prove my worth. That's why it's important that I do not mess this up."

For some reason, this didn't sit well with Mihael. The way Nate had phrased it, it almost seemed like Nate was using Mihael to further his own reputation. He didn't actually care if Mihael was successful or not. He only cared about himself. Mihael wouldn't admit it, but the implication that Nate didn't actually care about Mihael sort of hurt. He wasn't sure why. He just knew that it did.

Nate didn't mind the lack of response from Mihael's end. He simply looked down at his glass, saw that it was empty and frowned. "I want another drink." Before he could lift his hand up and wave out to the waitress, however, Mihael reached out and grabbed his hand, setting it back down on the table. Nate glared at him.

"I don't think you realize," Mihael said, not really caring if he was making Nate angry, "But you're drunk."

"I'm not drunk. I feel fine." Nate snapped.

"No, you're not. Your words are slurring and your body's swaying. I'm the sober one, I'd know."

"I am not slurring," Nate insisted. "I'm _not_ drunk. I want another drink and you have no authority to stop me, because _I'm_ paying." As if to make a point, Nate raised his hand and called out to the waitress. She caught sight of him and headed towards him. "I'd like a repeat of my drink, please."

The waitress was about to nod and leave when she caught sight of Mihael. He slowly shook his head at her. The waitress looked momentarily confused. She then looked at Nate, saw him trying—and _failing_ —to pick up a fork. Each time he tried, it slipped from his hand and landed on the table with a loud clank.

"He has to drive back home," Mihael whispered, making sure Nate couldn't hear him. "Just get us the check, please."

The waitress nodded, walking away. Mihael looked at his half-full glass. He'd been enjoying a nice buzz of his own, but of course it was short lived. He knew there was no way he could let Nate drive on his own—the man couldn't even hold a fork properly, fat chance he'd be able to _drive_ —and he'd have to end up dropping Nate home. He was going to get late.

He decided to text Takada and inform her that he'd be late. She didn't sound too pleased, if her reply was anything to go by, but there was nothing Mihael could do about it. When he looked up from his phone, he swore.

Nate held Mihael's drink in his hand and before Mihael could even attempt to stop him, Nate gulped it all down in one go.

"You just did bottoms up." Mihael said, staring in disbelief.

Nate set the glass down. "Yes, and I'm still f…fine." He abruptly stood up, the chair scraping loudly against the hard wood floor, the glasses on the table shaking with the sudden jerky movement. "I need to pee." He announced, swaying slightly on the spot. He took one step and then stopped. He looked at Mihael with a helpless expression. "I…I can't walk. Can you come with me?"

Mihael heaved a long sigh and stood up. He walked around the table until he was standing in front of Nate. He grabbed hold of his arm. "Come on."

* * *

"For the last time, Nate, give me your damn car key! I'm not going to let you drive."

They were currently standing on the sidewalk. Nate stood with his arms crossed adamantly, his car key dangling from his finger. He scowled at Mihael's words. "You have no right—,"

"Yes, I do!" Mihael snapped, taking a step towards Nate. "You're drunk, you can barely walk straight without me having to hold you up, and you think you can _drive_? I'm sorry, but I'd rather _not_ have you _dead_."

Nate stared at him wide-eyed. "You don't want me dead." He repeated softly.

Mihael faltered. "Well, yeah," He said, almost defensively, "Who'll get me gigs if you die?"

Nate's face fell. "Oh. That's the only reason…"

Mihael found this response particularly odd but he didn't dwell on it. Impatiently, he reached his hand out. "Give me the key, Nate."

Nate shook his head, stepping back. "I don't like anyone else driving my car." He uncrossed his arms, hands swinging slightly. "I want to drive."

Mihael resisted the urge to strangle Nate. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. "Fine," He said finally, "I'll make you a deal. If you can walk straight for five steps, without stumbling, I'll let you drive."

Nate thought this was fair. However, he'd barely made it two steps before he tripped over his own feet, falling down. Hard. The key slipped from his hand and fell straight into the drain behind him. Nate didn't realize this, of course. He was more focused on the fact that Mihael stood towering over him, _laughing_ at him. He pouted, bringing his hand out. A silent request for Mihael to help him up.

Mihael did so, not letting go even after Nate had managed to stand on his feet. "I guess that settles it, then." He said. "Give me the key, Nate."

Nate nodded reluctantly and lifted his free hand. There was no key dangling from his finger. Nate pulled his other arm out of Mihael's grasp and stared at his hand. No key there either. He looked at Mihael in panic. "It's gone…" Nate looked over his shoulder, at the drain. "I think I dropped it…when I fell."

Mihael wanted to scream.

"I'm…sorry." Nate said quietly.

"Well, looks like we've got no choice now. Come on," Mihael said, grabbing hold of Nate's arm and walking towards the parking lot.

"What do you mean?" Nate asked, stumbling behind him.

Mihael chose not to say anything. He knew if he did, Nate would end up kicking up another big fuss. And Mihael was in absolutely no mood to deal with another tantrum. "You'll see." He said instead.

When they reached the parking lot, standing in front of a shiny black bike, Nate understood what Mihael meant. He instantly stepped back, shaking his head. "No, I'm not sitting on that."

"You've got no choice." Mihael said patiently. "You dropped your car key in the drain."

"I'll get a cab." Nate insisted.

Mihael stepped closer, placing his hands on Nate's shoulders. "Listen, Nate. I'm not letting you go home on your own. And I am definitely _not_ spending money on a bloody _cab_ when I've got my bike. Just get on it. You can wear my helmet."

"Those things are dangerous," Nate protested. "I'll fall off it and die."

Despite his rising temper, Mihael's lips twitched. "You won't fall off," he said, trying not to laugh. "I'll make sure of that. Like I said, I don't want you dead."

Nate looked unconvinced, but when Mihael pulled his bike out of its spot, the key in the ignition, he hesitantly walked over to it. It took a few tries before he managed to sit on it, hands gripping Mihael's jacket tightly to avoid falling over. Mihael reached behind him and handed the helmet to him. Nate put it on. It felt heavy on his head.

"Hold on to me," Mihael said, looking over his shoulder.

Nate tentatively placed his arms around Mihael's waist, shifting forward slightly. His grip was neither loose nor tight. It was just enough for him to avoid falling over.

Mihael was still looking at Nate. "Listen, I won't drop you. I promise. I'll ride slowly."

Nate nodded his head, the motion slightly difficult for him due to the added weight of the helmet.

"Right," Mihael said, looking in front. He accelerated and then they left from there.

* * *

"God, I hate drinking!" Nate muttered as he was led into his house.

Mihael closed the door behind them, letting go of Nate and walking up to the coffee table. He placed the house keys on it and then turned around to face Nate. "Why did you drink, then?" He asked, curious.

"Because of you," Nate answered without thinking, stumbling slightly as he walked up to the couch and threw himself heavily on it. Now that they were safely indoors, Mihael didn't think he needed to continue assisting Nate in walking.

Mihael narrowed his eyes. "Because of me? I didn't force you to drink, Nate. Don't put this on me."

Nate shook his head. "No, that's not what I mean." He said. He knew he wouldn't be saying any of this if it wasn't for the alcohol, but as it happened, he couldn't particularly stop himself from talking. "I drank because I didn't want you to think I was boring company."

Mihael was at a loss for words. "What?" He finally managed, sitting down on the couch opposite Nate's.

"I've seen your friends. They're all entertaining and you seem to have a lot of fun with them. I'm not like them. I'm not…entertaining."

"Nate," Mihael said, voice uncharacteristically soft, "Since when do you care about what I think of you?"

Nate didn't answer. He instead lifted his hand to twirl a strand of hair around his finger. Then, he said, "You would've been bored out of your mind if I'd remained sober. As you can see, I'm not much of a talker usually."

This admission from Nate made Mihael incredibly uncomfortable, mostly because it invoked a feeling of guilt deep within him. God, he didn't want to feel bad about all the times he'd mocked Nate, yet here he was. Damn him.

Nate seemed to be slipping in and out of consciousness. Mihael looked at him. "Nate?"

Nate's eyes snapped open. "Hm?"

"You should go inside and sleep it off." Mihael said, standing up. He walked up to Nate, standing in front of him. He brought his hand forward. Nate slowly took it, letting Mihael pull him to his feet.

They walked over to Nate's bedroom. Mihael noticed the closed door on the opposite side. "For someone who lives alone, you've got a pretty big house." He commented.

Nate followed his gaze. "Yeah," he said.

"Maybe I could move in," Mihael joked. "It'd be quite an upgrade from that damn apartment I share with Matt."

Nate's eyes snapped up to look at Mihael seriously. "Do not mock me, Mihael."

Mihael frowned and paused in his step. "What do you mean?"

"You know I'd want you to…" Nate trailed off. "Never mind." He pulled out of Mihael's grasp and stumbled into his bedroom, fiddling with the light switch until the dark room was illuminated. Mihael stood in the doorway, trying to make sense of what Nate had just said. Nate would what… _want_ him to move in? No, that didn't make much sense. He shook his head, following Nate inside. He wasn't in the slightest bit surprised by the lack of color in Nate's room. He was, however, surprised by the huge Lego structure sitting on the table in front of him. He couldn't be sure just how tall it was, exactly. It just looked like it had taken quite a while—an insane amount of time, actually—to build.

Nate came to stand next to Mihael. "I built that." He said unnecessarily.

Mihael looked at him and smirked. "I figured. You've got a lot of time on your hands, I'm guessing."

Nate shrugged and walked over to his bed. Kicking his shoes off, he climbed on to it. He shifted until his back rested against the headboard.

"You comfortable?" Mihael asked.

Nate nodded, bending over to pull the covers up and over him. He leaned over and turned on the lamp that sat on the nightstand.

"Alright, I'll leave then. Goodnight, Nate." Mihael turned around to leave. He paused at the door, turned off the light, shrouding the room in almost darkness. The only illumination came from the night lamp Nate had turned on. He was about to leave the room when he heard Nate's soft voice call out to him. He stopped and turned to look at him. "You need something?"

Nate slid down slightly, looking down to his covered knees. "Could you…stay?"

"What?" Mihael asked stupidly.

"I don't want to be alone," Nate murmured, sliding further down the headboard.

Mihael swallowed. "I can't. I've got that date, remember? I can't cancel out on her. She's probably already waiting for me."

"Right," Nate said. "I forgot about that." He gave a tired smile. "Thank you for dropping me home, Mihael."

Mihael nodded, feeling his stomach twist. He walked out of the room, and was halfway to the living room when he stopped. He pulled his phone out and dialed a number. The phone rang a few times before it was answered. "Kiyomi?"

"Mihael!" Takada said, sounding relieved. "I was beginning to worry you were going to stand me up."

Mihael bit his lip. He was going to have to tread carefully here. "Er, yeah, listen—,"

"Oh God!" Takada cut him off, groaning. "You are going to stand me up, aren't you?"

"Look, I don't want to!" Mihael said quickly. "I told you Nate's drunk, right? It's just…well; he's never gotten drunk before and I don't like the thought of leaving him alone."

"He's not a child, Mihael," Takada said impatiently, "He'll be fine. He's used to living alone, isn't he?"

"Yeah, but this is different. He's _drunk_!" Mihael argued, as if that explained things. "Look, I don't know about you, but when _I'm_ drunk, I don't like to be left all alone. I never leave my friends alone when they're drunk, either. Nate's…Nate's no different."

"He's your agent, not your friend." Takada pointed out.

"Doesn't mean he can't be a friend, too." Mihael snapped. Immediately, he regretted it. "I'm sorry. I just—,"

"No, no, don't be," Takada cut him off, sounding apologetic. "That was mean. Of course Nate can be your friend. He's…he's a nice guy. I'm sorry. You're right. You should take care of him."

Mihael seemed surprised. "You're…you're not mad?"

"Well, I'm disappointed, because I was ready and everything," Takada said, "But I'm not mad. I think it's sweet, that you care about him. I mean, it sucks that you have to stand me up, but it's not the end of the world."

"Hey, look, we _will_ go out, I promise." Mihael said. "Just not tonight. I _do_ still want to go out with you, though."

"Goodnight, Mihael." Takada said. She then hung up.

Mihael looked at his phone, smiling. He hadn't expected her to be understanding. Maybe she wasn't going to turn out like the previous girls he'd gone out with, after all. He turned back around, getting out of his boots and headed back to Nate's room. There, he saw Nate leaning over and trying to reach for his record player on the nightstand. Before he could secure a good grip on it, however, it slipped from his hand and fell to the floor. Nate stared at it.

"Need help?" Mihael asked, walking over to the bed. Nate looked up at him in surprise. "I called Kiyomi, told her I couldn't make it. Told her I had to take care of your drunk ass. I can't believe it. You actually did manage to ruin my date."

"I…I didn't mean to." Nate said quietly.

Mihael laughed. "I'm kidding." He then gestured towards the fallen record player. "Any particular reason you were reaching out for it so desperately?"

"I can't sleep without listening to it," Nate blurted.

"Is that so?" Mihael said, bending over to pick up the record player. "I wonder what kind of music you listen to. Wait, let me guess. Classical?"

Nate shook his head, bringing his palm out. "Please just give it to me."

Mihael shrugged and handed it over to Nate. He then proceeded to remove his jacket, dumping it next to the Lego city on the table. He looked down at his pants and frowned. "I can't sleep in these pants. They're uncomfortable."

"Serves you right for wearing that god-awful leather," Nate said, plugging the earphones into his ears.

Mihael glared at him. "Watch it, or I'll leave."

"You can borrow something of mine," Nate offered.

Mihael scoffed. "That's generous." Despite his words, Mihael did walk over to the wardrobe and pull the doors open. He was, once again, not surprised by the rows and rows of white clothes. His eyes, however, fell on a set of toys on the bottom shelf. _Interesting_ , he thought. _Nate likes to play with toys and build Lego cities in his free time._ He pulled out a pair of light blue pajamas and didn't really think twice before stripping out of his leather pants and putting on Nate's loose ones. He decided to keep his tank top on, however, dumping the shirt back into the wardrobe.

When he was done changing, he stood at the foot of Nate's bed. Nate had his eyes closed, but Mihael suspected he wasn't actually sleeping. "So, I'll take the couch?" He asked.

Nate's eyes opened. "No. I'd like you to be…well, you know."

Mihael nodded slowly. "Okay." He climbed on to the bed from the other side, maintaining a respectable distance from Nate. He rested his head against the headboard, closing his eyes.

It was quiet for a long time and Mihael thought Nate had finally drifted off to sleep, when—

"Mihael?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you." Nate's voice was barely a whisper.

Mihael looked at Nate. "What for?"

"For staying," Nate responded. "You didn't have to. Yet you did."

"It's fine," Mihael said.

"You know," Nate spoke once more, voice still soft, "I don't think I've ever told you this before, but you're really, _really_ good, Mihael. You're incredibly talented, and I'm…I'm glad I gave you a chance."

"Nate," Mihael said quietly, "Just go to sleep."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the long chapter. Thing is, a lot of those elements needed to be included in this chapter. I didn't want to drag it out to the next one.**

Also, fun fact: Drunk Near is basically how I act when I've had one and a half glasses of Long Island Iced Teas on an empty stomach. Oh, and Near dropping his keys in the drain? Well, I won't say the exact same thing's happened to me, but I did drop my phone in the public toilet. So close enough? Just thought that's an interesting mention.

Reviews are appreciated


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So, I've got my visa, got my student loan sanctioned, tickets are booked and I fly to LA on Jan 13** **th** **, so life's exciting and terrifying and so, in the process, I've been busy, but hey, at least this time I didn't take over a month to update. 18 days, actually. Not too bad?**

 **Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Ohba and Obata.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Friends**

Nate was aware of three things when he woke the next morning.

First, he had a pounding headache. Second, he could hear the distant sounds of utensils clinking together emanating from the kitchen. Third, his record player was not next to him on the mattress.

It was the third realization that made Nate sit up abruptly, the sudden movement sending a jolt of pain to his head, making it throb unbearably. He flinched, closing his eyes for a brief moment, bringing his hand up to massage his temples gingerly; for as light as his head had felt last night, it felt that much heavier now. He slowly opened his eyes, turning his head to the side to stare at his nightstand. The record player wasn't there either. He distinctly remembered plugging the earphones into his ears last night. He remembered reaching for it, holding it for a split second before dropping it. Mihael had then picked it up and handed it to him.

Oh.

 _Oh shit_.

Nate swore, hurriedly pushing the covers off of him and getting off the bed. His eyes fell on the leather jacket that lay next to his Lego city. "Fuck," He muttered, still staring at the jacket. It didn't take a genius to figure out where his record player was—even if he _was_ a genius. He quickly turned around and made his way to the living room, nearly tripping over a pair of boots that he'd completely managed to overlook in his haste. He paused, scowling at them. He bent down, picking them up and pushing them against the wall. Then he made his way to the kitchen.

And sure enough, there was Mihael, his back turned to him. He was in the process of pouring himself some coffee from the pot, his other hand clutching the grey record player. Nate's heart leapt into his throat. If Mihael was actually listening to the record player, there was no doubt in Nate's mind as to what he was listening to. He swallowed thickly, trying to calm the sudden racing of his heart. _It's fine_ , he tried to assure himself. _It's not a big deal. You can easily come up with an explanation, provided you didn't screw up by saying something you shouldn't have. You can fix it_.

Nate was broken out of his thoughts when Mihael suddenly turned around, nearly jumping in surprise at Nate's sudden presence and almost spilling coffee all over himself.

"Nate?" He said in surprise, steadying himself and reaching over to pull the earphones out of his ears. He slowly placed the record player on the platform behind him.

Nate fumbled for words. His eyes fell to Mihael's pants. He was a little bothered by the fact that that was the first place his eyes chose to fall on, but he refused to dwell much on that thought. He noticed the loose blue pajama pants and arched his brows in question, gaze snapping to Mihael's face. "You're wearing my pants." He stated.

Mihael, who had been about take a sip of his coffee, immediately brought his hand back down, coughing slightly. Nate noticed the light shade of pink his cheeks had turned into. "You said I could," He said defensively. "Leather's not particularly comfortable to sleep in."

Nate's lips twitched. "I'm not complaining, Mihael. I was just making an observation."

Mihael finally took a sip of his coffee, sighing in content. He then studied Nate's disheveled appearance and smirked. "How do you feel, Nate?"

Nate frowned, suddenly becoming painfully aware of the pounding in his head. "I have a headache." He answered honestly. Then, as if considering something, he added, "And I feel nauseous."

Mihael laughed, handing his mug out to Nate. "It's called a hangover, Nate. Drink that, it'll help."

Nate looked at the mug. "That's your drink."

"I just took a sip."

Nate quickly shook his head, instantly regretting the action. Wincing slightly, he said, "No, that's not what I meant. I mean, you made that for yourself."

Mihael shrugged. "It's fine. I'll make another one." He looked pointedly at the mug, then back at Nate. "Take it."

Nate tentatively took hold of the mug, mumbling, "You've made yourself right at home, haven't you." Mihael looked at him in confusion. Nate ignored him, taking a sip of the hot beverage. He wasn't sure if it did make him feel better, but he took another sip regardless.

Mihael turned around and started preparing another mug for himself. He softly hummed a tune, one that Nate instantly recognized as one of Mihael's own songs. It was only then that Nate realized why he'd panicked in the first place. Clearing his throat, he said, "You have my record player." He hoped he sounded casual.

"Hm?" Mihael turned around to look at Nate. Nate inclined his head towards the record player.

Mihael followed his gaze and realization dawned on him. "Oh. Uh, yeah. My phone died last night, so I borrowed that. I hope you don't mind."

Nate had to struggle to maintain his composure. Mihael wasn't acting any differently. This was good. He needed to calm down. He took another sip of his coffee, closing his eyes momentarily. "What were you…listening to?"

Mihael reached behind him and held out an empty CD case. Nate looked at it, his eyes widening in surprise. It was one of Sayu's older records. "You were listening to her?"

Mihael shrugged. "I found the CD in your music shelf. I recognized her name from last night, got curious. Turns out, I know this girl. My ex used to be a fan of her. She's that popular Japanese-American pop singer, isn't she?"

Nate nodded dumbly. "Yeah, she is." Mihael's answer, however, did nothing to ease Nate's panic. "You didn't listen to what was already in the player?" Nate knew he was pushing it, that such line of questioning would only serve to make Mihael suspicious, and that he should just drop it. But he couldn't.

Mihael, for the first time, looked slightly uncomfortable. This did not escape Nate and he swallowed.

"No, I didn't," Mihael answered finally. "I wasn't interested in listening to your shitty taste in music, after all." He smirked but it was halfhearted at best. Nate knew he was lying. He knew Mihael had listened to the record, but he was trying to spare Nate the awkwardness and embarrassment that would inevitably ensue had he admitted to such a thing.

"You just took the CD out and put in another one?" Nate asked slowly. He wasn't sure why he was even pursuing it. Maybe because he wanted a chance to justify himself and not have Mihael think he was a freak? Possible.

Mihael nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what I did." He avoided Nate's gaze as he said this, however, and quickly turned around to continue making his coffee. Nate didn't say anything, instead waited for Mihael to finish whatever it was he was doing. When Mihael finally held a mug of coffee of his own, he turned around and looked at Nate. "What?"

Nate realized he'd been staring at Mihael's back for longer than was appropriate. He blinked a few times. "Nothing," He said. "I just thought you'd have left by the time I woke up."

Mihael shrugged, moving past Nate and walking over to the living room. He sat down on the couch, resting the coffee mug on the table in front of him. Nate followed an instant later, sitting across from him with his own mug. "I don't leave the house without my morning coffee," Mihael explained. "By the way, I'd apologize for simply barging into your kitchen like that, but something tells me you wouldn't mind anyway. So I won't apologize."

Nate almost smiled. "You're right. You don't have to."

The two went silent after that, sipping on their respective drinks. Nate wasn't sure if the coffee was actually effective in reducing his hangover symptoms, or if he was simply distracted by his own thoughts. He decided it didn't matter. He couldn't, however, stop thinking of last night. It wasn't like he couldn't remember all that had happened. It all played out vividly in his memory. What he couldn't remember, however, was what he'd _said_ to Mihael. His conversations with Mihael were all jumbled together. Had he said something that he would now have to regret? Nate honestly wished he knew.

"So," Mihael said, breaking the silence, "You were very talkative last night."

Nate's eyes snapped to Mihael's. "What?" He all but squeaked.

"Honestly, last night was the most you've ever spoken," Mihael said, leaning forward and setting his now empty mug back on the table. He leant back, reclining comfortably on the couch.

"You're annoying when you're drunk, though. No different than when you're sober, I suppose. Just worse."

"What did I say?" Nate looked at Mihael apprehensively, as though afraid of the answer.

"You mentioned your deal with L and LTA, actually." Mihael answered easily. "You also praised my incredible talent. Thank you, by the way."

Nate almost wanted to sigh in relief. That hadn't been too bad. Of course, it wasn't as if there was anything particularly embarrassing Nate could've said to begin with. He had nothing to hide from Mihael. "You're talented. It's not like I've ever denied that."

"It's not something you've ever acknowledged, either." Mihael eyed Nate seriously. "I wanted to know about Sayu Yagami, actually."

Nate immediately stiffened at the mention of her name. "I told you, didn't I? She was my client. Now she isn't." His voice was cold and suddenly distant.

Mihael was not deterred in the slightest. "Come on, Nate. You know shit about my life. You could give me something better than that."

"I don't see why you need to know about my personal life, Mihael." Nate argued. "Besides, it's not like I specifically ask you for details on your life. You're just liberal when it comes to talking about yourself."

"Hey, I don't just go about randomly spewing my life story to strangers, you know. It's usually just friends." Mihael glared at Nate. "I just thought knowing more about you would help develop our relationship."

Nate ignored the fact that Mihael had essentially called him his friend, rather than just his agent. He'd rather not think about that, get his hopes up for nothing. Having relationships other than his professional ones was an alien concept to him. The implication that Mihael saw him as more than just an agent, or that he equated him to the likes of Matt or Linda in his life somehow felt too strange to even consider believing. "I don't see how knowing about my personal life helps our professional relationship," Nate muttered.

Mihael let out a frustrated sigh, throwing his hands up. "You know what? Forget I asked. I don't even care. I mean, you're right. What we share is a professional relationship. I'm sorry I thought we could be _friends_." He let out a huff.

Nate blinked in surprise. "You think we're _friends?_ " That didn't come out the way he'd wanted. It didn't sound like a genuine question. If anything, it ended up sounding slightly derisive and it would be _so_ easy for Mihael to misinterpret it. Nate naively hoped he wouldn't. Truth was, Nate genuinely _was_ surprised and wanted some sort of affirmation from Mihael.

Mihael completely misunderstood. Nate couldn't say he was surprised. People usually tended to misunderstand him. Mihael snapped, "What, you're so above me that you'd never want to personally associate with someone like _me_?" He then narrowed his eyes. "I mean, of course, as opposed to your previous clients, who include the likes of _Sayu Yagami_ , I'm literally a nobody, aren't I?"

Nate frowned. "That's not what I meant, Mihael."

Mihael scowled at him. "What did you mean, then?"

Nate sighed, lifting his hand to twirl a strand of hair around his finger. "I just meant," he began, then furrowed his brows, closing his mouth. He tried to grasp at the right words, came up with absolutely nothing. Ultimately, what he said was, "I thought I was just your agent." Averting his gaze from Mihael, softly he added, "And you're not a nobody. You're just as good, if not better, than my previous clients."

Mihael's expression softened as he finally understood the meaning behind Nate's words. He then realized something, something he should've probably picked up on sooner. Nate wasn't a talker because he often failed at expressing himself accurately. His words were always misinterpreted, just like Mihael had done, a few moments ago. He mentally berated himself for it. So much for being good at reading people. He felt himself smile. "You really believe that?" He asked.

Nate's eyes shot up to Mihael's. His look wasn't mocking, like Nate would've expected it to be. It was genuine. Nate slowly nodded. "Yeah."

"You know," Mihael said, shrugging, "You don't have to tell me anything. I'm just a curious asshole by nature. Sorry about that."

Nate smiled slightly. "Maybe I'll tell you someday, when I'm not suffering from the after-effects of alcohol."

Mihael laughed. "You're such a bloody lightweight." He looked thoughtful, then, "You're actually worse than Matt. Then again, I can't say I'm surprised."

Nate shot him an offended look. "I just hadn't eaten much."

"Sure, keep saying that." A brief moment of silence settled over them. Suddenly, Mihael remembered something. "Oh, I nearly forgot, you need to call up towing services."

Nate looked at him in confusion. "Towing services? What for?"

Mihael widened his eyes in disbelief. "You don't remember?" Nate shook his head. "You dropped your keys in the drain. Your car's still in the restaurant's parking lot."

And then Nate remembered. He remembered insisting on driving, Mihael's deal to him, him tripping over his own feet and landing straight on his butt, dropping his keys into the drain in the process. He remembered being dragged by Mihael to the parking lot, almost freaking out at the sight of the motorbike. He remembered Mihael's reassuring words as he sat behind him, arms loosely wrapped around his waist. He remembered burying his face into Mihael's jacket, arms wrapping tighter, the wind chilling him and causing goosebumps to erupt on his arms. He remembered Mihael briefly holding his hand, just to reassure him that he was fine, and that he wouldn't fall off. What he clearly remembered, however, was the way Mihael's hair had felt, softly whipping against his face, thanks to Mihael's promise of riding slowly, how soft it had felt and how he'd had the sudden urge to want to touch it with his fingers, twirl it around them, _feel_ just how soft it was. He clearly remembered the way his hair smelt. He'd been too inebriated to place the scent, but if there was one thing he knew, it was that he'd never smelt something as sweet and pleasant as Mihael's hair, and so he'd nuzzled his face closer, wanting to inhale more of that scent.

Nate felt his face heat up at the memory. Why had he liked that so much? Why had he liked being close to Mihael, the way his hand had felt atop his? It could've been the alcohol, Nate reasoned. It had to be. He probably tended to get clingy when he was drunk. Nate decided he never wanted to drink again.

"Nate?'

Nate was snapped back to the present. "Yeah, towing services. Yeah, I'll call them. Thanks."

"Your face is all pink," Mihael observed. "You okay, right?"

Nate nodded quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just...I'll be fine."

Mihael then stood up, stretching his arms above his head, letting out a pleased groan as his muscles relaxed. He then looked at Nate. "I should get going. Matt's going to ask me a shit load of questions anyway. He probably thinks I got lucky last night." He snorted. "If only he knew."

"Got lucky?" Nate asked.

"Huh, what?" Mihael looked on in confusion. A moment later, he understood. "Oh, that. Well, he knew I was going out on a date with Kiyomi. He thinks we may have hooked up. It's the only time I stay out all night."

"Oh," Nate mumbled. "Once again, I'm sorry about your date. It wasn't intentional."

Mihael waved his hand dismissively. "Doesn't matter. Kiyomi's cool. She understands." He looked at the clock hanging on the wall opposite him and sighed, running a hand absently through his hair. Nate followed the movement, once again caught by the sudden urge to run his own fingers through them. He immediately looked down to his lap, lacing his fingers together. What on earth was wrong with him?

"Ah, it's late. I'll get going, Nate." Mihael said.

Nate looked at him and nodded silently, watching as Mihael made his way to the bedroom, presumably to change into his own clothes.

When Mihael returned five minutes later, all changed and ready to leave, Nate stood up from where he'd been sitting idly and followed him to the door. He seemed to be contemplating something and just as Mihael opened the door and was about to step out, he called out, "Mihael, wait."

Mihael paused in the doorway and turned around, eyebrows arched, indicating Nate to go on.

"About the record," Nate began quietly, "I know you listened to it and it honestly wasn't like that. It was purely work related."

"Nate," Mihael said, reaching a hand out on impulse and resting it on his shoulder, "It's fine. I get it." He gave Nate a sincere smile. Then he shrugged, the smile turning into a smirk. "Besides, if anything, it's honestly flattering. Or very, _very_ insulting. Depending on how you look at it. When it comes to you, I'm going for the latter."

Nate frowned. "It's not meant as an insult—"

"I know," Mihael interrupted, laughing. "I'm flattered you listen to my demo to help you sleep. It's just further proof that I'm good."

Nate's eyes widened at Mihael's choice of words. Was Mihael assuming or had Nate actually said something like that to him last night? He decided to try his luck, hoping Mihael would believe his lie. "I listen to it each night in order to analyze your music, to understand where your strength lies."

Mihael nodded. "Sure, yeah, I know. And then my music puts you to sleep." He stared at Nate seriously. "Honestly, it's not a big deal." He then turned back around and took another step forward. He paused once more, looked over his shoulder and said, "Nate, please don't drink with other people. If you _do_ want to get drunk, for whatever reason, make sure I'm around, yeah? You'd make a right fool of yourself otherwise." And with that, Mihael left from there, leaving behind a slightly wide eyed Nate.

Once Nate heard the engine of Mihael's bike rumble to life and then Mihael speed out of his driveway, he slowly shut the door and went back inside.

-x-

The hangover was seemingly getting worse and Nate was getting very, _very_ frustrated. His head wouldn't stop pounding and the queasy feeling in his stomach _just wouldn't go_. It was around noon and Nate was sitting cross-legged on his bed after having taken a nice, hot shower. He'd read online that taking a hot shower usually helped with a hangover. It had not been a complete lie, but what said article had forgotten to mention was that you only felt better _while you were taking the damn shower_. Once you stepped out, it was like nothing had changed. He'd also read that small intakes of food would help with his stomach, but he'd not been able to eat anything. He'd tried, but each time he did, he wanted to be violently sick.

Hangovers were not pleasant at all.

He let out a frustrated sigh, grabbing his phone from the nightstand. He scrolled through a seemingly never ending list of contacts until he stopped on the one he'd been looking for. He quickly dialed the number, flinching at the occasional stab of pain that shot through his head. The phone rang for a total about three times—yes, Nate was counting—before it was answered.

"Hello?" A voice answered.

"Jordan," Nate greeted. "I'm Nate River. We met for dinner, do you recall?"

Jordan went silent, probably trying to place a face to the name, Nate assumed. "Ah!" He exclaimed. "Yes, you came along with Light, didn't you?"

Nate rolled his eyes. _Of course_ that's how he'd remember him. It wasn't like Light had given Nate much of a chance to form an impression on Jordan. "Yes," Nate bit out, "I was with Light Yagami. We're acquaintances."

"I recall Light mentioning you and him were close friends?" Jordan asked, sounding confused. "Or was that not it?"

Nate could feel his temper rising. He tried to calm himself down by breathing deeply. He'd have to play along. He needed to get the gig for Mihael. He had no other choice. Honestly, if Mihael only knew how much he was having to put his pride aside for him. "Yes, we're very well acquainted, actually." He said, carefully choosing his words. "I'm sure you know the reason we'd arranged for that dinner, don't you?"

There was a brief sound of static and then Jordan's voice, slightly muffled, said, "No. I thought it was just a friendly dinner?" A pause, a little more static. "Why, was there a purpose for the dinner?"

"Yes, it was regarding your club, Indigo's, opening night." Nate answered. "I wanted to talk to you about my client and Light was supposed to introduce the topic to you, but evidently he got sidetracked." Nate tried his best to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

Fortunately, Jordan didn't pick up on it. "Oh, well, Light never mentioned anything." He then quickly added, "Listen, if you want me to get your client a gig for opening night, I'm afraid I can't. We're all booked."

"Having one more perform isn't going to cause an issue, Jordan." Nate countered. "Listen, why don't we meet in person and talk? Your phone's acting up." As if on cue, there was another round of static.

"I don't know man," Jordan responded, "I mean, I told you, we're all booked and—,"

"Jordan, please." Nate visibly cringed as he added, "I'm a good friend of Light's. I've been told you admire Light, don't you? All you have to do is listen to my client's demo and decide for yourself. After that, the decision you make will be entirely up to you. I won't push."

Jordan exhaled heavily. Then, "Alright, fine. I'll make a concession, but only because you're Light's friend, Nate."

"Yes, I understand." Nate answered, sighing imperceptibly. "How about we meet at Driane's café in about...uh, what's the time right now?"

"12-30,"

"Right, Driane's at 2?" Nate asked.

Jordan hummed thoughtfully before answering, "Yeah, okay. Driane's, 2'o clock. I'll see you th—,"

Nate hung up before Jordan could finish. After, he threw his phone down and fell back, draping an arm across his face. Maybe he could try and get in a little more sleep…

* * *

Driane's café was the name of the café Nate had visited all those weeks before with Mihael. He wasn't sure why he'd picked this particular cafe to meet Jordan, only that it was the first place that had popped into his mind. Still, it wasn't like he was complaining.

The café was bustling with people when Nate entered through the door, the bell atop it jingling as he did. He stood in the center, looking around the place in order to spot an empty booth. He quickly spotted one close to the stage on the far end and walked over to it, seating himself down comfortably on one of the beige cushioned seats. He fiddled around in his trouser pocket until he found the record player and pulled it out, placing it on the table in front of him. Then, he leaned back in his chair.

It had barely been five minutes since he'd settled down when a familiar woman approached him.

"Hey, you're Mihael's agent, right?" Cindy asked by way of greeting, notepad positioned in front of her face, a bright smile gracing her lips. She put on a thoughtful expression before she added, "Nick, right?"

"Nate," Nate corrected. "Yes, I'm his agent."

Cindy's eyes lit up. "Oh, is Mihael here too?" She looked around the café, her smile dropping. "I don't see him around…"

Nate was mildly amused at Cindy's sudden excitement at the prospect of meeting Mihael. She probably wasn't joking when she'd said she'd been having her eyes on him. Nate didn't blame her. Mihael did have a way with women. He tended to exude charm and well, there was probably _something_ about him that women found attractive. Maybe it was his hair? It _did_ look soft...

Nate blinked, the sudden direction of his thoughts catching him completely off-guard. "Uh, no, I'm here to meet someone else, actually. It's work related." Nate answered.

"Oh, bummer," Cindy mumbled. She then put on a bright smile once more and looked at Nate. "So, what can I get for you?"

-x-

Jordan arrived ten minutes later, hurriedly walking over to Nate's booth and taking a seat across from him. He was panting slightly as he said, "Sorry, got late."

Nate eyed his appearance and held back the urge to frown. Jordan was dressed in a black t-shirt and blue denims. Nate looked down at his own attire, which consisted of a neatly ironed formal shirt and grey trousers. He then looked back up at Jordan's. Well, he was _definitely_ overdressed.

"It's alright." Nate said, shrugging. He slid the record player towards Jordan. "That's the demo."

"Straight-to-the-point kinda guy, aren't you?" Jordan asked, picking up the device. He eyed it thoughtfully and placed it back down. He stayed silent, looking around the café curiously. "This is a nice set-up. Good pick."

Nate tapped his foot impatiently. He looked up when Cindy reached the table, placing two cups of coffee on the table, sliding each one towards either man. Nate murmured a quick 'thank you' to her and she smiled at him, turning around and walking away. At Jordan's questioning gaze, Nate said, "I took the liberty of ordering you a cup of coffee as well."

Jordan grinned, reaching for his cup and taking a sip. He sighed in content.

Nate let him enjoy a few more sips before he finally caved and almost snapped, "You're stalling, Jordan."

Jordan didn't take offense to Nate's less than friendly tone. "Look, I don't know, Nate. I've booked all the popular performers for opening night, and your client's just starting out."

Nate gritted his teeth. "He's _good_. He's _more_ than good. Merrie Kenwood was so impressed by his performance that she gave him two gigs at her club, The Solstice."

Jordan looked mildly impressed. "Solstice has good performers."

"Yes, they do."

"Still," Jordan said, looking skeptical, "I'm not sure—,"

"I work for LTA, Jordan," Nate cut in, not letting him finish, "We don't pick clients unless they're exceptionally talented. I, personally, choose clients only if I _know_ they're exceptional."

"Who have you worked with previously?" Jordan asked curiously.

Nate didn't even have to pause to think. "Sayu Yagami was my first client, I've worked with Ryan Halls—yes, the same Ryan Halls. I've also briefly worked with Cassandra—the pop artist, not to be confused with the rap artist, but just as famous. Robert Fischer was my most recent client, and he's got two successful record deals to his name, and now, finally, there's Mihael."

Jordan let out a low whistle. Then, "Sayu Yagami was a client? Really? I thought Light was her agent."

Nate shook his head. "When she'd just started out, I was assigned as her agent. It was a long time ago, however. I'd rather you focus on the other names. They're more recent." Nate hoped his attempt at a diversion from this topic was successful.

It was. "Alright, I won't deny, you've got quite a reputation going there." Jordan conceded, taking another sip out of his drink. He leaned back in his chair, shifting around slightly to get more comfortable. "I don't think I want to listen to his demo, however. Since we barely have two weeks on us, I'd like to see one of his live performances. You've got any recorded ones, from his previous gigs?"

Nate bit his lip. "No, I don't have any at this moment."

"Does he have a gig tonight that I can drop by?"

"No."

"Nate, this is a problem." Jordan stated. "I need to see him perform live. I need to know what his stage presence is like, if he can hold an audience."

"He can." Nate informed.

"I can't just go on your word, no matter how good you think he is. I need to see for myself." Jordan insisted.

Nate was at a momentary loss. He felt incredibly stupid for not having recorded Mihael's performances so far and having them uploaded somewhere, where people could see. He made a mental note to talk to Mihael about that later on. He looked around the café, hoping he'd find some way around the problem. And then, an idea struck.

"Mihael used to perform here, when he was just starting out. I could call him here and he could perform for you here." Nate suggested, ignoring the way his heart was suddenly beating at a slightly faster rhythm than before at the prospect of seeing Mihael again. He had no logical way of explaining it yet.

Jordan seemed to consider that. "If they let him, then yeah. I think that works."

Nate nodded and pulled out his phone.

-x-

"Mihael, I need you to come to Driane's right now."

"I have a date with Kiyomi, Nate."

Nate paused. "You...you do?"

"Yeah, we decided to catch up for lunch today. Look, I can't cancel on her again. That would be a dick move and this time it would definitely be your fault." Mihael said.

"I'm not calling you to Driane's for a fun Sunday afternoon lunch, Mihael." Nate snapped. "It's regarding your gig at Indigo. The owner needs to see you perform live first."

Mihael was silent. Then, "Uhm, oh, okay." He sighed heavily and said, "I can't ditch her, Nate. It's not right. Two days, back-to-back, _not_ cool. Isn't there some way for us to arrange this during the week? "

"Mihael," Nate began impatiently, his headache magically reappearing out of seemingly nowhere, making him wince, "Is your date more important or your work?"

"Nate, that's not fair."

"Please don't argue with me, Mihael," Nate said exasperatedly, "I have a bad headache as it is. Just come here. Get Kiyomi along with you, if you want. Make this your date or whatever."

"Fine," Mihael finally relented, letting out another long sigh. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Good," Nate said. "Bye, Mihael. Please don't be late."

"Yeah, bye." With those words, Mihael hung up.

Nate waited for the call-end tone before shoving the phone back into his pocket. When he looked up, Jordan was giving him an incredulous look. "What?" He asked, frowning.

"You made the poor guy cancel out on his date?" Jordan asked wonderingly. "How does he not hate you?"

Nate shrugged. "He understands."

-x-

When Nate had suggested Mihael bring Takada along with him, he wasn't being serious.

And he hadn't exactly expected Mihael to follow through with that.

As it happened, Mihael and Takada walked into the café together, pausing in the doorway, looking around. When Mihael spotted Nate, he waved, a smile on his face and turned to look at Takada, saying something to her. The two then made their way to Nate and Jordan's booth.

"Hi," Mihael said, automatically taking a seat next to Nate, while Takada slipped into the seat next to Jordan, a smile on her face. "Hey Nate," She greeted warmly. Nate only gave her a curt nod. Takada's smile dropped.

Nate shifted slightly, trying to put in some distance between him and Mihael. He then looked at Jordan. "Jordan, this is Mihael," He said, patting Mihael's arm lightly as he did. He inclined his head in Takada's direction and added, "And that is Kiyomi Takada."

Mihael leaned forward, bringing his hand out to Jordan. Jordan took it. "Hey," Mihael said. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too," Jordan said smiling, and then looked at Takada. "And you, Miss Takada."

Takada nodded, smiling politely.

"Mihael, Jordan needs you to perform," Nate said, looking at him.

Mihael shot an amused look at Nate. "How come you picked this place?"

"Er, it just popped into my head and—"

"And you admit it's a pretty damn good café, don't you?" Mihael interrupted, smirking.

"It's got a relaxing atmosphere, yes," Nate conceded. "Now's not the time to mock me, however. Please just go and perform. I'm assuming the owner won't have an issue?"

Mihael stood up, waving his hand dismissively. "Nah, told you, she loves me."

"Yes, so I've been told," Nate agreed, unable to hold back a small smile.

Nate watched as Mihael approached Cindy. He saw her smile brightly at him, nod excitedly at whatever Mihael was saying and then a moment later, she was walking up to the stage, turning on the microphone and making an announcement similar to the one she'd made all those weeks ago. He watched as Mihael made his way to the stage, picked up the guitar, positioned himself much the same as last time.

When Mihael began playing, Jordan and Takada, who'd been having a silent conversation of their own, directed their attention to him. Jordan was obviously analyzing the performance from a professional standpoint, but Nate paid closer attention to Takada. She seemed to be looking at Mihael with nothing short of complete admiration and adoration. Nate knew Takada to be a confident woman, someone who'd go for what she wants. In some ways, she reminded him much of Naomi Misora, in the way that they were both very outspoken, straightforward, but most importantly, supremely confident in and of themselves. Nate respected Naomi Misora, and so it was only natural that he'd respect someone like Kiyomi Takada. Both women were in positions worthy of respect.

And yet, as Nate looked at Takada, he couldn't help but feel a certain degree of dislike towards her, or more accurately, a stab of jealousy. She'd done absolutely nothing to warrant any ill feelings from Nate, and yet Nate felt them. Nate envied how she could show her affections for Mihael clearly, because it was normal for her to feel them, and it wasn't unusual for her to show them. But that implied that Nate had affections for Mihael, which wasn't true. This discrepancy in his feelings and his thoughts confused Nate, which led to a feeling of helplessness, which in turn led to frustration and then he was back to envying Kiyomi Takada all over again.

Nate had been so focused on observing Takada and introspecting on his own feelings that he did not even realize when Mihael dropped into the seat next to him. It was only when he caught a whiff of his familiar scent did Nate snap out of his thoughts. He quickly cleared his head, putting on his professional air once more and directed his gaze to Jordan. "So, Jordan?" He asked.

Jordan looked conflicted. "He was good," He said, "But…"

"Are you still stuck on the whole 'he's not popular enough'?" Nate asked. Jordan nodded. "Alright, consider this. You give Mihael a gig, he manages to completely impress the audience. Your club's opening night is going to include a lot of people in influential positions from the industry, am I right?" Jordan nodded again. "Now, one of these people happens to like Mihael. They want to sign him on for a record deal, or maybe a movie deal. Whichever it is. They'll come and ask you about him, you'll say he's still a beginner. Don't you think they'll be at least _slightly impressed_ that you gave him a chance, despite his lack of fame, because you value talent above superficial things such as fame and popularity?" Jordan didn't even nod. He just stared dumbly as Nate prattled on, "Now, when Mihael becomes successful somewhere down the line, gains popularity, he'll remember that when he was still at his budding stages, you and more specifically, your club gave him a chance to grow. That, in turn, will create goodwill for you. You do realize it's not particularly easy for businessmen to create goodwill, don't you? And if for some reason—and this _highly unlikely_ , not even a remote possibility actually—the audience does _not_ like Mihael's performance, you still have all your other artists performing. It's not like the entire success of the evening hinges on solely one performance. So really, you've not got much to lose, Jordan."

Mihael, Takada and Jordan collectively stared at Nate. This was the most they'd heard Nate speak, especially Mihael and _he'd_ seen Nate drunk.

"I...I guess you're right," Jordan said finally. "I'll give him the gig."

Mihael poked Nate in the shoulder. Nate looked at him with arched brows. "You're...you're _good_ , Nate." Mihael whispered in slight awe.

Nate flushed slightly but otherwise said nothing. He looked at Jordan once more. "Would you like us to go elsewhere and discuss specifics or…?"

Jordan quickly shook his head. "Not today. I'll call you tomorrow. We'll discuss it then. I gotta leave now."

Nate nodded. Jordan stood, and so did Takada, in order to let him move out of the booth. With a quick 'goodbye' to everyone, Jordan was out of there. Nate stood up as well, fishing around in his pocket and pulling out a few dollar bills. He then placed them on the table, in front of Mihael, and said, "I'd ordered two coffees. This is for that."

"You're leaving?" Mihael asked.

Nate inclined his head towards Takada. "You're on a date. I don't want to intrude."

"You've ruined it anyway," Mihael joked. When he noticed Nate's frown, however, he added, "When will you learn to take a joke, Nate?"

"When you're clearer about it being a joke," Nate muttered.

"Listen, you can stay. I'm sure Kiyomi won't mind." Mihael looked at Takada. "Er, _do_ you mind?"

Takada bit her lip. "Uh…" She trailed off.

Nate could see the conflict in her eyes. He knew she didn't want him to stay, and it wasn't like she had something against Nate (as Nate seemed to have against her, for unknowable reasons.) He couldn't blame her. He'd made Mihael cancel out on his date last night, and even now, he was effectively ruining their date if he _did_ decide accept Mihael's invitation. Nate decided to make this easier on Takada, and in a rare show of understanding, which left him with a feeling of immense bitterness, he said, "I don't feel well. I told you, I have a headache. You two carry on with your... _date_."

Takada smiled gratefully and mouthed a 'thank you' to him. Nate nodded in response. It was only then that he realized he'd been standing awkwardly, the space between the seat and the table not enough for him to comfortably stand. He nudged Mihael's thigh with his own, prompting him to move out for a moment. Mihael did, standing aside while Nate moved out as well.

The two stood facing each other awkwardly for a moment. Then, "You sure you don't want to hang back?" Mihael asked. Nate found himself wondering if Mihael was being courteous or if he genuinely wanted Nate to stay. Judging by his sincere expression, Nate guessed it was the latter. The realization made his stomach flutter oddly.

"I'm sure, Mihael." Nate answered. "Besides, the last thing I want is for you to blame me for ruining your date, _yet again_."

Mihael smirked. "That's true, I suppose."

This time, Nate didn't take offense. Instead he smiled. Mihael widened his eyes at that and let out a laugh. "You understood my joke!" He exclaimed.

"Shut up," Nate said in mock-indignation.

And suddenly the atmosphere turned from playful to awkward. Mihael remained standing there, Nate shifted his weight from one foot to another uncomfortably and Takada looked at both of them, _specifically Nate_ , with a strange expression.

"I'll get going," Nate finally said, taking a step forward.

Mihael nodded. Before Nate could take another step, however, Mihael leaned forward and hugged him.

Nate had to remind himself that Mihael did this with all his friends, and it _wasn't_ a big deal, and he was comfortable enough with Mihael to not mind the physical contact. That was probably what was causing the racing of his heart to begin with. Nate _didn't_ _mind_ the physical contact, oh _no_ he didn't. If anything, he _craved_ it and his body moved almost involuntarily, arms wrapping around Mihael's waist, unconsciously pulling him closer. He resisted the urge to close his eyes and nuzzle his face into Mihael's shoulder, however. It wouldn't be appropriate. Takada was watching. She'd probably misunderstand. _Why_ would he want to do that, anyway?

"You know, if you still feel sick or whatever, you can call me," Mihael said as he slowly pulled away. "Like I said, we're friends."

Nate coughed awkwardly. "Uh, yeah. I'll be fine, though. Thank you for your concern."

Mihael frowned. "Leave it to you to ruin the moment." He muttered. He then took his seat once more.

Nate looked at Takada. She was still looking at him with that same expression, but there was also a polite smile on her face. Nate couldn't understand how she managed to maintain that polite exterior at all times. He wondered if he would ever be able to accomplish that. Probably not.

"I'll see you around, Miss Takada." He said. She nodded at him. Nate then looked at Mihael. "Er, you too."

And then Nate spun on his heel and hurried out the café, heart still pounding in his chest.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, there you go. Also, it was ridiculously hard to show Nate trying to convince Jordan. If I fucked that up, I'm sorry, please forgive me?**

 **Also, here's what I wanted to know. Would you guys be interested in reading a small Christmas themed one-shot, set in TMF verse, probably 1k words or so? Let me know!**

 **As always, feedback is appreciated.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: woooo. So, I moved to LA, was trying to get used to my new surroundings, struggling to cope with school (it's a lot of fucking work, jfc, I've barely had time to breathe) and also coping with immense homesickness. Hence, this chapter was super late, and it might also not be as good as I'd hoped it would be. Regardless, it wasn't fair for me to just hold back on the chapter, so here goes nothing.**

 **Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Ohba and Obata. I own nothing but my idea.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Confusion**

When Mihael liked someone, he knew it. When Mihael felt a strong sense of physical attraction for someone, he had no trouble placing it. Or acting on it, for that matter. It had always been as easy as that for him, and it still was.

Which is why, when he got done with his date with Takada, and she'd asked Mihael if he'd like to go out again, Mihael hadn't hesitated to say yes.

He was, after all, almost certain he liked Takada. He was most definitely attracted to her.

He knew he liked talking to her and hanging out with her, and she was pretty too, and she wasn't clingy or constantly nagging him like the previous girls he'd dated. She was a lot more understanding. Added to that, she was smart, too. She was confident, bold and proud, refusing to bow down to anyone.

Mihael could easily see himself being in a relationship with her.

The trouble, however, much to Mihael's displeasure, was in regards to how he felt about Nate. For someone who'd never had trouble placing his feelings for someone, Mihael was certainly struggling to place these feelings, because if Mihael liked hanging out with Takada, he absolutely _loved_ spending time with Nate. He'd probably never admit to it out loud, it was a big enough deal that he was admitting it to himself, but he looked forward to his meetings with Nate.

Just like he'd looked forward to his dinner with Nate. More so than his date with Takada, the person he was actually supposed to be interested in. It didn't add up. It didn't particularly make sense. It was frustrating.

Nate could be annoying, mean, downright offensive, yes, but there was a certain honesty and sincerity to him that appealed to Mihael. It made those little compliments Nate paid him that much more meaningful, because Mihael knew Nate wasn't _just saying_ them.

When Mihael had found out that Nate liked listening to his demo to help him sleep, he couldn't help but feel incredibly flattered. He remembered grabbing the record player out of Nate's loosened grip, slowly pulling the earphones out. Nate had been deep asleep by then, breathing soft and slow, his face calm and peaceful. Mihael had been unable to stop himself from simply looking at Nate, at how different he looked. His face wasn't the usual stoic mask. Instead, there was something tender and innocent about him, a certain naivete to it. Mihael had the sudden urge to reach out and rest his palm on Nate's cheek. He wasn't sure where that had come from. He'd then slowly plugged the earphones into his own ears.

And then he'd heard his own voice, soft and rhythmic, greet him, accompanied by soft music.

It had been unsettling at first, but Mihael had soon found himself smiling softly. There was something inherently heartwarming in the knowledge that Nate chose to seek comfort in Mihael's music, if only to help him relax him and fall asleep. It could've been taken as insulting, but something in Mihael's head told him that it wasn't meant to be one. It was meant to be a compliment, a huge one at that. And so Mihael had looked back at Nate, his smile intact, and he'd let himself reach out and run his fingers gently through Nate's hair, for just a moment. And then he'd retracted his hand, pulling the earphones out and settling down on the bed, eyes closing.

There was also something disconcerting in the fact that this was the memory Mihael found himself halting at and _really_ focusing on, while he presently sat in his room, trying to find inspiration for words that fit for the music he'd created. He let out a groan of frustration, setting his guitar down on his bed. Standing up, he began pacing around the room, running his fingers through his hair. He paused at Matt's desk, picking up his cellphone and going through the list of text messages he'd ignored. The latest message was from Takada, wishing him luck for his upcoming performance at Indigo, as well as the promise of a surprise that Mihael would greatly appreciate. Mihael smiled lightly at that. The message just beneath that was from Nate, and Mihael found his heart skip just the slightest bit reading his name.

 _Get a grip_ , he berated himself. He opened the message.

 _'Mihael, I hope your preparation has been well. You need to be present at Indigo tomorrow by 5 pm. The opening is at 8pm but there will be a rehearsal before that. Do not be late.'_

Mihael smiled, almost picturing Nate's serious face as he typed in the text. He quickly typed in a response of his own. _'Won't be late, don't worry. I'll see you tomorrow, Nate.'_ Mihael sent his response and waited for Nate to text something, because Nate _always_ did. He waited a minute, then two, and eventually five. There was no , Mihael was almost about to place his phone back on Matt's desk and go back to working on his music, but stopped. He scrolled back to Takada's name and typed in a quick message to her.

 _'So I'm a little stuck on this one song. Mind if I asked for your help?'_

Takada's response was almost instantaneous. _'Sure. I'd love to help.'_

* * *

True to his word, Mihael was not late. He reached Indigo at a quarter to five, knowing he'd have to spend at least over five minutes searching for a place to park his motorbike. When he'd finally found a good enough spot that would ensure he didn't get a ticket, Mihael made his way over to the entrance. He paused in his step, however, when he noticed the shut doors and significant lack of guards or people in general in the immediate vicinity. He decided to approach the doors anyway, reaching out and tugging at the handle. It wouldn't budge. Sighing, Mihael reached into his pocket and pulled his cellphone out, hoping to get a hold of Nate. He'd texted Nate a few times before in the day, but there had been no response. He decided he'd call him instead.

Before Mihael could dial the number, however, Mihael heard voices conversing with one another, slowly growing louder as they approached him. He turned around and came face to face with Jordan, and another dark haired man he wasn't particularly certain he recognized.

Jordan came to a halt in front of Mihael, the man beside him stopping as well. "Hey, Michael right?" Jordan greeted, bringing his hand forward.

"It's Mihael," Mihael corrected, shaking Jordan's hand lightly. He pulled back and glanced at the man beside Jordan. "I'm not sure I've met you before."

The man laughed, stepping forward and clapping Mihael on his back. "So you're the elusive Mihael!" He exclaimed. "Nate's talked about you quite a bit, but I never got the chance to meet you at your last gig. I'm Light Yagami."

Realization dawned on Mihael. "Sayu Yagami's brother and agent, right?"

Light looked impressed. "I didn't think I was well-known."

"You aren't," Mihael commented. At Light's offended look, he quickly backtracked. "I mean, Nate and I ran into Sayu at dinner, and she mentioned you being her brother and agent. That's kind of how I know you."

Light waved his hand dismissively. "Where's Nate?"

Mihael shrugged. "I'm not sure. He hasn't replied to my texts all day."

"Oh, that's typical of him. He is very bad at responding to texts, especially ones from his clients. I remember Sayu used to complain a lot about that, back when he was her agent, you know? Anyway," Light gestured towards the closed doors, effectively cutting off any reply Mihael had been preparing to give, that Nate _never_ ignored _his_ texts, that he _always_ replied to Mihael's texts, in fact even helped him with his music, and took a step forward. "I think we should head inside."

Jordan reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. "I'm kinda nervous about opening night."

Light squeezed Jordan's shoulder gently. "It's going to be fine." He glanced at Mihael and smiled. "You have a very interesting performance line-up."

-x-

Most of the performers for opening night arrived almost an hour after Mihael did, not bothering with any last minute rehearsals. They were in the main part of the club, helping themselves to some light drinks at the bar before the club officially opened. Mihael, on the other hand, was backstage, in the rehearsal room, focusing entirely on perfecting his songs, making sure he didn't mess this up. He was in the midst of one of his songs when the door to the rehearsal room barged open.

Mihael abruptly stopped playing, looking up to see Nate at the door, lips pursed into a thin line. He wasn't alone, however. Standing beside him was L, hands shoved into his trouser pockets, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Hello, Mihael," L greeted, while Nate stood to the side, crossing his arms across his chest. "How are you doing?"

Mihael set his guitar down on one of the chairs behind him and walked up to L and Nate, grinning broadly. "L! I had no idea you were going to be here." He then directed his gaze to Nate in particular and added, somewhat accusingly, "Why didn't you respond to any of my texts today?"

Nate opened his mouth to reply but L cut him off easily, lightly placing his hand on Nate's shoulder as he did, "Oh, I'd been keeping him busy all day today, so I apologize if he didn't find the time to respond to your texts."

Nate glared at L. "I could've said that myself, L."

L shrugged, stuffing his hand back into his pocket. "I just wanted to wish you luck for tonight." He told Mihael. "And also to ask you if you're satisfied with whatever Nate's been doing for you so far, you know, as an agent."

Mihael's cheeks tinged just the lightest shade of red. "Yeah, he's been okay."

Nate now directed his glare at Mihael. "Just okay?" If Mihael didn't know any better, he'd have almost thought Nate looked genuinely hurt. Not offended, like Light had seemed when Mihael had told him he wasn't well-known, because he'd somehow hurt his ego. No, Nate looked more like he was genuinely hurt that Mihael thought he wasn't doing a good enough job for him, despite the fact that he was trying very hard to do so.

Mihael patted Nate's arm, laughing. "I lied. He's been really good for me, and I'm glad I have him for an agent."

"Whatever," Nate muttered, flushing. He looked over Mihael's shoulder, at his guitar and added, "Were you rehearsing?"

Mihael followed his gaze and nodded. "Yeah."

Nate shot him a look of confusion. "Why? You've performed these songs so many times before. I almost expected you to be by the bar, trying to build your connections with the other musicians."

Mihael rubbed the back of his neck. "Er, yeah, you know, I just didn't want to fuck up by being too complacent. Besides, I figured I can always chat them up after the performances."

Nate smiled. "If it's any consolation, I personally don't think you can fuck up."

Mihael caught the strange look L shot Nate before he said, "It is."

-x-

Indigo's opening night wasn't exactly how Mihael had pictured it to be. It was a lot more crowded than he'd expected. He was used to crowds, god knows the previous clubs he'd performed at had been excessively crowded, but this was different. This club was one step higher from all of those and when he'd seen the line up of the musicians backstage, he'd almost had to take a step back and reconsider going up on stage. The keyword here was almost.

When his name was called out, there wasn't as strong an applause as Mihael had hoped he'd have, but then again, he knew he shouldn't have been expecting it. He was still starting out, he wasn't as established as the ones who'd gone up before him, and the ones who'd go up after him. There was a reason he was in the middle—easy enough to forget, should he mess up—and he knew that the entire success of the night did not hinge on his performance. He was just grateful for the chance he was getting, and he intended to make the best of it.

And make the best of it he did. He opened with the song he was most comfortable with, the very first song he'd ever written and had been proud of, which incidentally happened to be the same song that had made Nate decided to sign Mihael on as his client. The applause gradually came, soft at first, and then louder.

Throughout his performance, which spanned about three songs, Mihael's eyes kept seeking out familiar faces amidst the huge crowd. More often than not, his eyes remained fixed on Nate for long moments, until it became too awkward and Nate ended up looking away, either by coughing into his hand or by pretending to strike up a conversation with the person beside him.

It was only when Mihael had reached his final song, and he'd found Nate's eyes once again from among the crowd, did Nate's look of awkwardness shift to something else entirely. Surprise. Mihael smirked and looked away, looking at rest of the audience. From the corner of his eye, however, Mihael knew for certain that Nate was still staring at him in surprise.

When Mihael finally finished up his performance, there was a decent round of applause, maybe not as strong as the applause for the ones before him, and maybe there were no chants of 'once mores', but it was enough. He didn't fuck up. He waved out, thanked the audience and headed backstage.

As soon as he'd set his guitar down on one of the seats, Nate walked over to him, his face his usual stoic mask. "That last song you performed, I've never heard it before." He said without preamble.

"No, 'good performance, Mihael', 'I knew you wouldn't fuck up, Mihael'?" Mihael asked, amused.

Nate shook his head impatiently. "As your agent, I need to be aware of all your songs. I wasn't aware of this one. What if this song was one of your weakest, and no one liked it?"

"I just thought I'd try out something different," Mihael said, shrugging and making his way over to the bar, hoping to find Matt or Linda or Takada around. He still wanted to know what her supposed 'surprise' was. "I thought it was good."

Nate quickly followed after him, trying to catch up to his longer strides. "Yes, it was good, but that's besides the point. The point is—,"

"Point is that you didn't know about it, and I admit, I should've told you about it," Mihael interrupted, stopping in front of the bar counter and signaling for the bartender, before turning to his side to look at Nate and add, "I asked Kiyomi though, and she liked it."

"Kiyomi knew about your new song?" If Mihael wasn't mistaken, there was a tinge of jealousy in Nate's tone.

"Well, I had to ask someone. In my defence though, you weren't responding to my texts."

Nate frowned. "I was busy with another client, Mihael. You could've just called me up. If you'd told me it was regarding a new song, you know I wouldn't have ignored you."

Mihael's eyes widened in surprise. "You have other clients?"

Nate's lips twitched at that. "I'm an agent, Mihael. Of course I have other clients. Granted, I can see why you'd be surprised, considering I did spend a considerably large amount of time around you these past few weeks, but yes, I do have a couple other clients."

Mihael shook his head, eyes still wide. "You just never mentioned them."

"I wasn't aware I was supposed to."

Mihael sighed and looked at the bartender, who'd been patiently waiting for the two to get done talking. "Whisky, double. Neat."

"Any preference?" The bartender asked him. Mihael simply shook his head in response. The bartender nodded and looked at Nate. "Anything for you?"

Mihael looked about ready to answer but Nate beat him to it. "No, thank you."

Mihael looked at him and smirked. "Smart choice."

Nate rolled his eyes, taking a seat at the bar-stool. Mihael followed after him, making himself comfortable and tapping his fingers on the table. The bartender placed his drink in front of him and Mihael instantly took a sip, sighing in content. He looked around the club, eyebrows furrowing. "Where the hell are Matt and Linda?"

"I think I saw them talking to someone back there." Nate answered, looking at the crowd of people around the stage.

Mihael shook his head, downing the remainder of his drink and signaling the bartender for a refill. The bar tender obliged. "You'd think they'd come and congratulate me on my performance or something."

"Maybe they want to enjoy the rest of the performances." Nate reasoned. He eyed Mihael's second glass and added, "You should go easy on that."

Mihael let out a loud laugh. "Look who's talking!" Nate frowned at the off-handed insult. Mihael looked at Nate seriously then, the intensity of his gaze causing Nate to look away briefly. "You know," Mihael began, repeatedly poking Nate's hand with his finger, "You didn't tell me if my performance was good, Nate."

Nate indignantly grabbed a hold of Mihael's finger with the full intent to push it away, but almost jumped in surprise when Mihael didn't let him loosen his grip, instead using the rest of his fingers to wrap around Nate's hand. Flustered, Nate said, "I already told you that you wouldn't fuck up, didn't I?" He made no move to pull his hand out of Mihael's grasp.

Mihael adjusted his grasp, loosening the one finger that was still in Nate's hold and wrapping that around Nate's hand, too. He absently began rubbing his thumb across Nate's hand as he said, "Still, I'd like some validation, you know." With his other hand, Mihael downed the rest of his second drink. He signaled for another one. He noticed Nate shift in his seat uncomfortably and loosened his grip almost imperceptibly. "Do you want me to let go?"

Mihael held his breath as he awaited Nate's response. He wasn't sure why he'd reached out for Nate's hand to begin with, or why his heart was beating at a much faster rate than was normal, or why he suddenly felt warm all over. Okay, _maybe_ the being warm all over was the alcohol. Still, the alcohol didn't explain the racing heartbeats or the sudden urge to want to be closer to Nate. "Nate?" He asked once more.

Nate slowly shook his head, refusing to look at Mihael. Mihael smiled as he tightened his grip on Nate's hand once more. They sat in silence for a few long moments, Mihael reaching for his third drink, taking his time with this one while Nate pretended to look around the club, consciously making an effort to not look down at either of their hands.

"I think you're drunk," Nate said finally, clearing his throat but still refusing to meet Mihael's eyes.

"Why do you say that?" Mihael questioned.

"You're actually seeking validation from me, and that's not something you would normally do." Nate answered, finally meeting Mihael's eyes.

Mihael appeared to consider this. "You do realize your opinion matters to me, right?"

"And that's another thing you'd never say to me if you were sober," Nate pointed out calmly. "You're drunk."

Mihael shrugged, sipping at his drink. He stayed silent, focusing on the feel of Nate's hand in his. It was somewhat clammy, and if Mihael shifted his fingers just a bit, he'd be able to feel Nate's pulse. He almost wanted to do it, just to see if Nate's heart was racing just as his was, or if that was just him. He knew alcohol generated warmth in the body, but the more Mihael focused on the warmth, the more he realized that it seemed to be concentrated in just one part of his body—the lower part of his body, if we were being precise—and that, more than anything, was what left him feeling confused. He wasn't sure if the reason was Nate himself, or if it was the alcohol and Nate just happened to be around to emphasize on it. Maybe Mihael would've reacted the same had it been Takada, instead of Nate. Maybe he wouldn't have. Honestly, at this point, Mihael would rather not think. And so he closed his eyes, continuing to rub his thumb against Nate's hand and sighing in content.

He only opened his eyes when he heard someone call out to him, and judging from the voice, or as much as his alcohol-buzzed brain could process, it was Takada. "Mihael, there you are! I'm so sorry I didn't come to you sooner. There were all these people I had to talk to, and of course, there was this surprise I had for you but I kind of messed that up, I'm sorry." As soon as Takada came into clear view, standing beside Mihael's bar-stool and placing her arm on his shoulder, Mihael felt Nate pull his hand out of his grip.

Mihael looked up at Takada and smiled. "That's okay." His voice came out slightly slurred. He could feel Takada rub his shoulder gently and because Mihael's heart still hadn't stopped racing and because he needed to _know_ , and yes, maybe because he was drunk and _horny_ , he grabbed hold of her hand and tugged her down, leaning his own face up to press his lips against hers.

Takada was taken aback momentarily as Mihael moved his lips against hers, standing up shakily and wrapping his other hand around her waist, pulling her against him. Takada finally kissed him back, wrapping her own arms around Mihael's neck.

Mihael wasn't certain what it was he was doing, but kissing Takada was certainly helping him relieve some of his tension from before, the tension that had slowly and steadily been building in the pit of his stomach and that was all he needed for now. He kissed her for a few seconds longer, and then slowly pulled away. They were both breathing heavily, and Takada stared at Mihael in wonder. "Wow," she breathed.

Mihael swallowed thickly. "Yeah, uh, sorry about that."

Takada quickly shook her head. "No, that's—that was fine." She looked over Mihael's shoulder and laughed awkwardly. "I guess Nate didn't want a show."

It was only after Takada uttered those words did Mihael realize that Nate had been right there when Mihael and Takada were making out, and he suddenly felt very, _very_ bad. He turned around and was met with am empty bar stool.

Mihael found himself searching for Nate amidst the crowd, but there was no sign of him. "I wonder where he went off to," He muttered.

"It doesn't matter," Takada said, gently turning Mihael around by the shoulder to face him and leaning forward to kiss him once again.

Mihael returned the kiss, trying to lose himself in the feeling of pure lust, the feeling of Takada's soft lips against his own, and the way she was turning him on quite spectacularly.

And yet, the only thing Mihael felt as they deepened the kiss, was overbearing guilt and the lingering feel of Nate's hand in his.

* * *

 **A/N: welp. Don't worry, the main conflict between the two is not the love triangle. That's a promise. The main conflict is yet to come :)**

 **reviews are appreciated. And once again, sorry for such a delayed update. I won't even pretend the wait was worth it, but eh.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: No excuses. All I can say is, aren't you just glad I didn't take 4 months to update? I'm proud of myself. Kinda. I hope you guys like what you read.**

 **also, small note: this chapter has both Nate and Mihael's povs. The linebreaks indicate a change in pov, and '-x-' indicates a change in scene. I'm sorry, it's just this chapter, cause things need to happen and I had to include both povs, so.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Hard Rock**

"Mihael? You up yet?"

"Fuck off," Mihael groaned sleepily, throwing an arm across his face.

"Uh, that's kinda awkward, since you're in my house right now."

Mihael's eyes snapped open. He quickly sat up straight, focusing on the person in front of him, and the source of the voice.

Takada stood at the foot of the bed, dressed in a light pink nightgown and hair mussed, an amused smile on her face. "Morning, Mihael." She said.

Mihael looked momentarily confused until it dawned on him. Sighing, he sagged against the headboard, closing his eyes. "Morning. Sorry about that. I'd kinda forgotten about, you know..."

Takada laughed out loud, walking around the bed and climbing on to it, sidling up to Mihael's side. Out of pure instinct, Mihael's arm came around her shoulder, pulling her closer. "Maybe I could help you remember," she suggested softly.

Mihael looked at her. Leaning forward, he kissed her lips. Pulling away, he said, "Maybe later? I kind of have a really bad headache."

Takada smiled, snuggling closer to Mihael's side. "Yeah, I'm guessing you _did_ have a lot to drink last night." She paused a moment, considering. Then, "Oh my god, I didn't take advantage of you, did I? I mean, you were drunk and probably weren't aware of what you were doing and –,"

"Kiyomi, relax." Mihael interrupted, kissing her once more. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to do it. You're incredibly attractive."

Takada blushed at that. "Thanks, I guess."

They let a moment of silence pass between them. Mihael thought of Nate, and what he was doing. It was a random thought. There was absolutely no reason for Mihael to have even been thinking about his agent, and yet here he was, wondering what he was up to. A part of him wanted to call Nate up and apologize for last night.

 _Apologize for what, exactly?_ His mind asked him. Mihael wasn't really sure of the answer to that, to be honest. _I'm sorry for being drunk_ , Mihael thought. That could probably be a valid thing to apologize for, right? Mihael shook his head. Who was he kidding? Mihael _kne_ w what he wanted to apologize to Nate for.

 _I'm sorry for making out with Kiyomi in front of you_.

The real question here was, _why_ did he think he owed Nate an apology for it? He decided he didn't want to think about it. He shoved the thought to the back of his mind.

"So," Takada finally broke the silence. Mihael looked at her inquisitively. "This...this thing," she gestured between themselves, presently cuddling in bed, Mihael still entirely naked from the previous night, "Is this a one time thing?"

Mihael wasn't sure. He liked her, didn't he? And he was certain he had a great time last night. If truth be told, he could easily go for a round two right about now, if it weren't for the beginnings of a hangover. Mihael didn't see how it could hurt to give this a chance. It wasn't like he had someone in his life. He kind of missed it, actually. Being in a relationship, that is.

"It doesn't have to be," Mihael answered finally. He was doing nothing wrong. He didn't have anyone in his life. He _didn't_ have anyone.

"You mean..." Takada trailed off.

"Let's try dating." Mihael said. He was doing absolutely _nothing_ wrong. Why was he having to reassure himself of that, anyway?

Takada's eyes widened slightly. "Really? I thought you were the kind of guy who hooked up with someone once, and then never called them back."

"It depends on the girl, I guess." Mihael said truthfully, shrugging. "I like you. You're a fun person to be with, and I could see myself dating you."

Takada flushed. "I appreciate the honesty."

This time it was Takada who leaned up to capture Mihael's lips in a kiss. Before it could escalate to something more, however, Takada pulled away, breathing heavy. "I forgot the reason I'd come to wake you up." She said.

"You mean you didn't come wake me up to fuck me again?" Mihael teased.

Takada didn't blush. All she did was laugh humorously and say, "I just got off the phone with my boss. You know, the manager at Hard Rock? The surprise last night was supposed to be the fact that he was going to show up at Indigo, and Nate would get a chance to talk to him. For you, I mean."

"Wait, you talked him into showing up?" Mihael asked in disbelief.

"Well, not quite. He didn't show up last night. But here's the thing," Takada said excitedly, "He's still up to meeting with your agent. I mean, I'd been trying to get him to agree for a while now, but now he's finally agreed."

"He agreed, just like that?" Mihael was finding all of this really hard to believe.

"I mean, he's not going to guarantee a gig, but it's hard enough getting a meeting with him." Takada said, somewhat embarrassed. "And well, I have a good standing with him, so I may have requested it as a personal favor."

"Thank you," Mihael said sincerely. "I appreciate it. You didn't have to do it."

Takada shrugged it off like it was nothing. "I wanted to."

"I'll talk to Nate," Mihael said, fumbling around for his phone. He found it buried underneath the comforter. Pulling it out, he was almost about to dial the number when Takada reached out, holding his wrist, effectively stopping him. Mihael looked at her questioningly.

"It can wait," she said, and there was an almost playful glint in her eyes.

Mihael understood the insinuation. "Yeah, I guess it can."

-x-

It turned out, Mihael's one performance at Indigo had managed to open more doors than was imaginable. As soon as he entered his apartment, he received a call from Nate. Mihael was quick to answer.

"Nate."

"I've got you two meetings, Mihael." Nate said without preamble. "First one's with Luke Halloway, the manager at Hallow's. That's today, in about, uh, a couple of hours, yes."

"Good morning to you, too, Nate," Mihael said dryly.

"It's not the time for pleasantries, Mihael. I have other things to deal with. I'm going to forward you the address and the time you need to be there. Please don't be late."

"Alright, I'll see you there, then." Mihael said, walking into his bedroom. There was Matt, at his usual spot in front of his computer. He had headphones on, as usual. "I kind of have a hangover so I'll just take care of that."

"I'm not coming to the meeting, Mihael."

Mihael, who'd just been about to fling open his closet, paused. "Wait, you're not?"

Nate sounded somewhat apologetic as he said, "I have to accompany another one of my clients to a meeting."

Mihael's heart sank. "Oh, right."

There was a brief, uncomfortable silence on the other end. Then Nate said, "I'm sorry. I'm sure you can handle this on your own, Mihael."

Mihael snorted. "Of course I can."

An awkward pause. Then, "Let me know how it goes."

"Will do," Mihael said dismissively, suddenly very annoyed. He angrily pulled a pair of leather pants out and threw it on his bed. "I need to go, Nate. I'll call you once the meeting is done." He didn't wait for Nate to respond, instead hung up. He then sat down heavily on his bed.

"Something wrong?" Matt had pulled out his headphones and was now looking over his shoulder at Mihael in concern.

Mihael rubbed his forehead, sighing. "Yeah. I just have a hangover." He turned to look at Matt. "You done with your game?"

"I wasn't playing my game." Matt answered, turning back to face his computer screen.

"Then what were you –," Mihael cut himself off, Matt's screen catching his eye. He stood up and walked over to Matt, resting his palms on each of Matt's shoulders and staring at the computer screen. "Why am I looking at myself singing, Matt?"

Matt looked up at Mihael's face and grinned. "You're on the internet, dude."

Mihael raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Matt, instead of giving a verbal answer, entered a link into his browser. Mihael's eyes widened slightly. Matt had gone out of his way to create a Youtube channel for Mihael. There were only two videos on the channel so far, one of which was Mihael's performance at Indigo. "When did you do this?" Mihael asked.

"Just started a few hours ago," Matt said. He clicked on one of the videos, frowning at the number of views. "We need to promote you more. I'm going to create a Facebook page too, and maybe even a website."

Mihael grinned, ruffling Matt's hair. "Thanks, man."

Matt smacked Mihael's hand away. "You think I'm doing this for free? Dude, when you become famous, you're going to be paying me back a shit ton of money."

Mihael laughed, turning around and walking back to his closet. "Sure," He said, pulling out a black tank top and inspecting it.

"Going somewhere?" Matt asked, standing up and walking over to Mihael. He peeked into Mihael's closet, rolling his eyes at the infinite leather collection. "Maybe a date?" He stared at Mihael meaningfully.

"I have a meeting," Mihael snapped, shutting the closet door. "And yes, Kiyomi and I hooked up. And yes, she and I are dating."

"I knew it!" Matt exclaimed. He patted Mihael's shoulder sympathetically. "You never learn."

Mihael glared at Matt. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" But Matt ignored him, going back to his computer and putting his headphones on once more.

Mihael continued glaring for a moment longer, then deciding that Matt was just an asshole, he grabbed his clothes and made his way over to the shower.

-x-

Mihael's meeting with Luke Halloway was a surreal experience.

He'd entered, exchanged a few words, sang a few lines for Luke, and he was convinced. In a matter of minutes, Mihael had booked himself a gig at Hallow's. It was a strange phenomena. Where, a couple of months ago, Mihael would've had to hustle, now it was starting to get significantly easier to book gigs.

And so it continued, for the next couple of months. Nate contacted Mihael about meetings he'd set up, still unable to accompany Mihael to any of them, but not failing to call up, as soon as the meeting was done. Mihael liked to think he was managing just fine, and he was steadily becoming a better performer. In fact, when Mihael booked his third gig at The Solstice, he could've sworn there were a few people in the front who were singing along to his songs. That was good, because that meant that people were starting to _know_ him, and that's what Mihael wanted, had _always_ wanted. It didn't matter that it was just one city. It always started with one city, and it went from there.

Even though Nate failed to be present at most of Mihael's gigs, owing to his 'busy schedule', Mihael kept in constant touch with him via texting. Nate would, without fail, call or text Mihael after every performance, and Mihael wouldn't think twice before filling him on every single detail. In the back of his mind, Mihael knew that this was just Nate doing his job, but that did not stop him from thinking that somewhere, Nate genuinely _did_ want to know.

That's one of the reasons why, when Mihael was at a restaurant with Matt and Linda, having dinner, and he had two girls walk up to him and ask him if he was the 'same hot blond guy who'd performed at Angel's, and that they loved his music and were looking forward to seeing more of his performances', Mihael pulled his phone out and typed in a text to Nate, as soon as the girls had gone back to their table.

 _'Nate. I just had two girls walk up to me and actually recognize me. Can you believe it? I'm in awe.'_

Nate's reply was almost instantaneous, almost as if he'd been expecting a text from Mihael.

 _'Of course I can believe it.'_ This message was followed immediately by another. _'I'm happy for you, Mihael.'_

Mihael smiled down at his screen.

"Is that Kiyomi? It's kind of a pity she couldn't join us for dinner." Matt said, taking a sip from his drink. He glanced at Linda and gave her shoulder a light squeeze. "It could've been like a double date."

Mihael looked up at the two and shrugged. "Kiyomi was busy with work. And no, it wasn't her."

"Whose texts were you smiling at then?" Matt asked curiously. "Are you already cheating on your two-month-old girlfriend?"

"It was _Nate_ ," Mihael snapped defensively. "I was just telling him about the two girls who stopped by our table."

"That's sweet," Linda commented. "What did he say?"

"Dude," Matt said seriously, "It's kind of weird."

"What's weird?" Mihael genuinely had no idea why sharing some good news with your agent was considered weird. If anything, it should've been normal.

"You text him a lot. Like, a _lot_." Matt gulped down the rest of his drink, before adding, "Like, I get that he's your agent and all, but honestly, you don't have to tell him about every good thing that happens to you. That's just weird, man."

"If I remember correctly, you _called_ _up_ Linda when you reached a million subscribers on your channel," Mihael pointed out. "Isn't that weird, then?"

Matt let out a loud laugh. "Dude, Linda's my _girlfriend_! Nate's just your _agent_. You see the difference? I mean, are you sure you aren't annoying him with all your incessant texting?"

"No, I'm n –," Mihael stopped short. _Was_ he annoying Nate? He hadn't really thought about it. He'd just assumed Nate was okay with it. He was, wasn't he? "He's not just my agent. He's a friend, too."

"I'm your _best friend_ , and you've _never_ once asked my input on any of your songs." Matt argued. "Don't look at me like that. I know you ask him for his suggestions."

"That's because he works in the industry," Mihael snapped. "Why are we even arguing on this?"

"Matt's just jealous," Linda said, rolling her eyes. "Ignore him, Mihael."

"That's what I plan on doing," Mihael said, calming down somewhat. He took a huge gulp from his drink. "Now, can we please order some food? I'm hungry."

* * *

The past two months had been a special kind of hell for Nate.

He'd entered this particular hell ever since the night at Indigo, and Mihael's little display with Kiyomi Takada. Nate hadn't wanted to admit to it, but it had bothered him immensely. And so he'd decided, for the sake of his own mental well-being, that he needed to get away from there, before they both realized he was still there, observing them like some pathetic human being.

Nate wasn't pathetic. He wasn't about to start being pathetic anytime soon.

He'd then decided he needed to focus on the rest of his clients, and that's exactly what he did. He decided that, instead of accompanying Mihael on the meetings he arranged for him, he'd accompany another one of his clients. He knew Mihael wouldn't mind. He'd probably be busy with Kiyomi Takada. And this would give Nate the chance to get to know some of his other clients better. Just because he was comfortable with Mihael as his client, did not mean that he'd be with only Mihael for the rest of his life.

Did Nate _want_ to be Mihael's agent for the rest of his life? That was debatable.

Nate didn't like not attending Mihael's gigs, but he also knew that he was walking a very fine line between what was professional interest and what was purely personal. He wasn't sure which side of the line attending Mihael's gigs fell on anymore. So , just to play it safe, he'd decided he wouldn't attend _all_ of Mihael's gigs. He'd attend only some, maybe the more important ones, and that was that.

But, try as he might, Nate couldn't stop himself from responding to all of Mihael's texts. And Mihael sent him _a lo_ t of texts. Not that Nate had been complaining. He'd tried to avoid responding to most of them, but found that it was futile. Nate decided that if he couldn't meet Mihael in person, he could give himself this. Besides, it was easy to play this off as professional interest, wasn't it? He could pretend he was just giving Mihael notes, or that he was just encouraging Mihael in order for him to double up his efforts and be better.

No harm done, really.

That was, until, Nate received a call from Takada, while he'd been attending to one of his clients. As soon as Nate read Takada's name on his screen, he felt a slight twinge of bitterness. He didn't let that show, of course, when he said, "Miss Takada. Good morning."

"Nate, Dane, my boss, said he's free next week for a meeting." Takada said.

Nate furrowed his brows. "Dane? I'm not familiar with the name."

"He's the manager at Hard Rock? I'd told Mihael a couple of months ago that he'd agreed for a meeting with you, to talk about giving Mihael a gig. Didn't Mihael fill you in on it? I'd told him to inform you."

"He must have forgotten," Nate said dryly, "Maybe next time you could just directly tell me?"

"Look, Dane agreed to this meeting as a personal favor, and I'm telling you because you're Mihael's agent." Takada said. "I'd really like for Mihael to get this gig. It would be huge."

"Yes, I'm aware," Nate said shortly, "If I remember correctly, I'd asked you to speak to Dane much before, didn't I? You'd said there was nothing you could do."

"For Christ's sake, Nate! I'd told you, Mihael needed a few more gigs to his name before I could talk to Dane about him." Takada sounded mildly annoyed. "Look, he's agreed now. Isn't that what matters?"

"What convinced him?" Nate asked curiously.

"Indigo," Takada answered.

Nate couldn't help but smile smugly. "Right, the opening night that _I_ managed to book a gig at for him."

Takada ignored this. "Dane's free next week. 9 AM. You can visit him at his office. I'll forward you t he address." Without waiting for a response, Takada hung up.

Nate stared at his phone screen for a long moment.

"Nate? You alright?" Trish, one of Nate's clients, asked tentatively.

Nate's gaze snapped to her. He slowly nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. I apologize for the interruption. Where were we?"

-x-

Dane, Nate decided, was definitely infatuated by Takada. That explained the endless rant he went on, when Nate made the mistake of giving Takada's reference.

"She's always managed to hook me up with the right kind of artists for my club, you know?" Dane said, grinning. "Honestly, the only reason I agreed to meet you is because of her."

"I'm aware," Nate said, trying hard to control his temper, "You mentioned that a couple of times."

Dane nodded. "Do you have your client's demo on you?"

Nate nodded and pulled out two CDs from his bag. He handed them both to Dane. "One is his demo, and the second is his performance at Indigo. I thought you might like to see it."

"You can keep it there," Dane said, gesturing at the coffee table between them. "I'll listen to it and get back to you."

Nate nodded curtly and stood up. He waited for Dane to stand, too. It didn't happen. Rolling his eyes, Nate turned around and left without any parting words.

-x-

Nate heard from Dane the very next day. He was in his office, sorting through his files when his phone rang. One glance at the phone screen, and Nate knew Mihael had the gig. Still, he answered.

"Dane."

"Morning, Mr. River." Dane greeted. "I'm guessing you know why I called."

Nate half-smiled. "I still need an official confirmation from you."

"Three weeks from now. The gig is all his. I'll forward you the documentation. Payment's going to depend on the turn up."

Nate nodded in understanding. The half smile had now turned into a full, genuine smile. "Thank you, Dane."

"Don't thank me, Mr. River. I mean, yeah, I gave him the gig, but I'm still going on Kiyomi's word, so you'd do well to thank her, too." Dane said. "I'll talk to you later, Mr. River." Dane hung up.

Nate's smile faltered somewhat. He stared at his phone in dismay. The last thing he wanted to do was thank Kiyomi Takada for _anything_. Angrily, he punched in a text message to Mihael.

 _'You've gotten Hard Rock. Three weeks from now. Please be well rehearsed. This will be huge for you. You're going to be the only one carrying the show. Make sure you practice with a band.'_

Nate thought this message was long enough, and so, he sent another, continuing where he left off.

 _'I know a couple of bands who'd be willing to play for you. I'm sending you the contact details. Good luck, Mihael.'_

And then, in the third message, Nate sent Mihael the contact details of the bands. He kept his phone aside, and went back to inspecting the files on his desk.

He didn't send Kiyomi Takada a 'thank you' message.

* * *

When Mihael found out that he'd gotten a gig at Hard Rock, the first person he told was Matt. He'd been sitting in his room, practicing his music when he'd received Nate's series of texts. He'd at first rolled his eyes, but then he'd opened the texts. And he'd nearly screamed.

"MATT!"

Matt, who'd been taking a nap on his own bed, barely even flinched. He simply opened his eyes, turned his head to the side and yawning, asked, "What is it?"

Mihael, in response, showed Matt his phone screen.

"You dick, I can't read that." Matt yawned again. Sitting up, he said, "What's that?"

"I got a gig at Hard Rock. I got a fucking _gig_ at Hard Rock! _Hard Rock_ , Matt!"

"Say Hard Rock one more time," Matt muttered. His face then broke out into a huge grin. "I'm so proud of you, Mello!"

Mihael grinned widely. "Nate asked me to get in touch with one of the bands and rehearse with them. He said the payment's going to depend on the turn up."

Matt got off the bed, walking up to his computer. "You just focus on rehearsing, leave the rest to me. And Linda."

Mihael nodded. Glancing at his phone screen, he dialed the first contact Nate had sent him. He waited a few rings. Then, "Hey, is this Andrew? I'm Mihael Keehl. I wanted to know if you guys were free, three weeks from now, for a gig?"

-x-

Andrew's band, called 'The Delinquents', was more than willing to play with Mihael. And why wouldn't they? It was good publicity for them as well. Besides, once Mihael got paid, a percentage of it would go to them. They had nothing to lose. Mihael would've preferred the band from The Solstice, because he'd gotten along with them rather nicely, and Mihael liked all of them. However, Mihael knew they had their own gigs to take care of, and so he was alright settling for these guys.

They weren't bad. They were actually pretty good, and they picked up Mihael's songs rather quickly.

Takada occasionally dropped in at rehearsals, staying for a couple of hours, whenever her work schedule permitted. Mihael wouldn't admit it out loud, but he kind of wished Nate would show up, too. Just like Nate had showed up the last time. It wasn't that he wasn't glad for Takada's presence, it was just that Mihael sort of missed having Nate around constantly.

But Mihael was a sensible, grown up man, who understood that Nate had clients other than him. He understood. Really.

While Mihael busied himself with rehearsing, (there was no such thing as too much rehearsal), Matt and Linda took it upon themselves to promote Mihael's upcoming gig. While Hard Rock would do its own part, and have Mihael's name displayed on their website, Matt was of the opinion that extra promotion wouldn't hurt. Mihael could only ever benefit from it.

And so it continued, for three weeks. Mihael practiced relentlessly, Matt and Linda worked on promoting the gig, hoping for a big enough turn out, and Nate remained busy with his work. Occasionally, he'd drop in a message or two to Mihael, asking him if his preparation was going well, and if the band was up to par, and that if he needed anything, he shouldn't hesitate to let Nate know. It was all so incredibly _formal_.

Mihael didn't respond to any of those messages.

-x-

Mihael was a mess.

No matter how many times he told himself that he had this, that he'd been performing for months now, it didn't change the fact that he was, indeed, an utter mess right now. He was backstage, and there was still an hour before the show began, but his nerves were eating up at him. This was worse than his first gig, where he had to go second in a list of numerous other bands, and it was also worse than Indigo's opening night, where he was somewhere in the middle, easy to miss.

No, this was worse, because Mihael was the main performer today. It was _his_ name out there, _his face_ being promoted on Hard Rock's website. It was all him today, and for the first time in his life, Mihael Keehl felt inadequate.

He tried to think of what Nate would say to him, in order to calm his nerves, just like he'd done in the past. He looked around the backstage. He wondered if Nate would even show up to the gig, or if he'd be busy with his other clients, as per usual.

"Mihael," Takada's voice greeted him, and Mihael instantly looked at her. He focused on her pretty, smiling face. He hoped his nerves would calm down. It didn't happen. If anything, his stomach simply twisted into even tighter knots. Takada stopped in front of him, resting her palm on his shoulder. "You okay?"

Mihael forced himself to smile. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

Takada shrugged. "It's a pretty huge crowd out there, and it's all for you."

Mihael wished she hadn't just said that. His heart began thudding in his chest.

"Don't say that," a voice cut in. Mihael recognized the voice very clearly. He looked over Takada's shoulder and sure enough, there stood Nate, dressed in his formal attire. Mihael felt some of his nerves calm.

Takada glanced over her shoulder at Nate and frowned. "What's the harm in saying that? I'm just trying to encourage him."

"You're just intimidating him," Nate pointed out. "He doesn't need to know what the crowd's like out there."

Takada turned around fully and took up a defensive stance. "Yes, he does. Partly because this is _huge_ , and he needs to know this is all him."

"And partly because you're worried if he screws up in front of all these people, it's going to reflect badly on you?" Nate asked bluntly.

Takada's eyes narrowed. "How dare you? I'm his _girlfriend_ , Nate. I _care_ about him. _Genuinely_. If anything, you're the one who's more concerned about reputation, since you're his agent, and you represent him."

Nate looked like he wanted to retort, but instead he kept silent. His face was, once again, stoic. Mihael wanted to say something in his defense, but he couldn't really think past his anxiety. He simply looked at his band mates, and the similar looks of panic on their faces, at varying levels. Mihael brought his gaze back to Nate and Takada. The two were still staring at each other, but they weren't saying a word. Mihael focused only on Nate. A very huge part of him wanted Nate to come closer, to reassure him that he'd be fine, that he _wouldn't_ screw up. But then, with Takada–his _girlfriend_ –standing right there, would that really be appropriate? That Mihael was seeking comfort from Nate, rather than from her? He closed his eyes. He needed to calm down.

"Hey, isn't that Robert Fischer?" Jay, one of the band members, pointed out. Mihael's eyes snapped open.

Nate turned around on the spot as well. Mihael saw his posture go rigid, and with a quick glance in Mihael's direction, Nate hurried over to the backstage exit. He saw Nate say something to the black haired man standing right there, and then saw him tugging on his arm. Mihael felt a pang of something deep in his stomach. _Just the nerves_ , he told himself. He looked down at the guitar slung across his shoulder. Just nerves. Nothing else.

Mihael looked back up. Nate was nowhere in sight, and nor was, Mihael noted with another pang, the black haired man. Robert Fischer, wasn't it? "Where did Nate go?" It took him a moment to realize he'd actually asked it out loud.

"I think Robert Fischer is one of his previous clients. Maybe he went to catch up?" Takada suggested, glancing at the exit. She then brought her attention back to Mihael. "Anyway, how do you feel?"

Mihael pulled Takada close to him, hoping the intimacy would help. "Still a little anxious," he admitted truthfully, "But there's a way for you to calm me down."

Takada laughed and without really thinking about it, she kissed him. Mihael kissed her back, holding her close. It did feel nice, but when they did pull away, both breathing heavily and cheeks tinged pink, Mihael noticed with some disappointment that it had done nothing to calm his nerves. It made no difference, whatsoever.

"Any better?" Takada asked him, giving him a peck on the lips.

"Yep, much better." Mihael lied.

-x-

When Mihael finally got on stage, he was greeted by a huge round of cheer and applause. However, he felt his heart begin to beat at an uncomfortably fast rhythm when he saw just how many people were out there. It was packed, and Mihael wasn't really sure how to feel about that. He searched around the crowd, and immediately spotted Matt, Linda and Takada. They were all smiling encouragingly at him. Mihael smiled back. He continued looking around, hoping to spot Nate somewhere in the crowd. It was futile. Mihael couldn't find him anywhere.

"Mihael," Andrew whispered from behind him. "Should we start?"

Mihael scanned the crowd one more time. Giving up, he nodded. The band began with the intro music. Mihael closed his eyes, focusing on the music. He opened his eyes. He scanned the crowd once more.

The music continued, and Mihael knew his cue was close. He focused on the music. Closed his eyes. The music reached its cue.

Mihael opened his mouth, ready to sing and then, for the first time since he'd began performing, Mihael Keehl froze.

* * *

 **a/n: Well, I hope you guys liked it. I'm hoping to get done with this fic before this fic turns a year old. Wish me luck.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Tension**

Nate wasn't in the slightest bit pleased to have been missing out on Mihael's performance, instead having to stand outside with Robert Fischer, who, at present, was too busy lighting a cigarette.

"So," Robert said, letting out a puff of smoke. Nate scrunched his nose up in disgust, taking a step back. Robert gestured at Hard Rock, which was just across the street. "Why'd you drag me out?"

Nate glanced over his shoulder and sighed. He looked at Robert once more. "I needed to talk to you."

Robert took in another drag of his cigarette. When he let out another puff of smoke, Nate involuntarily let out a cough. Robert looked at him apologetically. "Sorry about that. What did you want to talk about? Couldn't you have just done that in there?"

"Listen," Nate began, "That man in there, who's performing tonight, is my client. His name's Mihael Keehl."

Robert's eyes widened. "Oh!" He grinned widely. "Then that's all the more reason for us to go back inside. I want to listen to him sing!" Robert leaned forward, invading Nate's personal space. "If he's your client, I'm certain he's good."

Nate frowned, taking another step back. "Yes, he _is_ good. And no, we're not going back inside. We're going to wait right here, until he's done and everyone's applauded for _him_." Nate made sure he had clearly emphasized the last word.

Robert furrowed his brows in confusion. "What's that mean?"

"It means," Nate said impatiently, "That my client isn't a big name, _yet_. Not like you are, anyway. If people recognized you in there, they'd not bother listening to him. They'd want _you_ to perform, instead. I couldn't let that happen. It's a big night for my client, and he deserves to be the center of attention."

Robert stared blankly for a moment. Then, a slow smile crept across his face. "Wow, you really care about your clients, don't you? I mean, any other agent wouldn't have particularly thought that far ahead. You must _really_ like your client."

Nate flushed. "It's not that big a deal. He just needs to get his confidence up, needs to know that the crowd appreciates him." Nate stared pointedly at Robert. "I would've done the same for you, if you hadn't already released an album when we met."

Robert laughed, taking another long drag from his cigarette. "I wasn't aware you even took clients who weren't well known, Nate. As far as I remember, you always wanted it to be a person people recognized by name."

"Yeah, well," Nate said shortly, "I decided I like challenges."

Robert said nothing to that. He silently smoked his cigarette, while Nate kept glancing over his shoulder, hoping to hear something from within Hard Rock. Unfortunately, he could hear nothing. The walls really were sound-proof, it seemed. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to just go back inside? What were the chances that people would recognize Robert? Nate looked at Robert. Well, pretty good chances, actually.

"So," Nate said suddenly, catching Robert off-guard. "I heard you'll be touring soon."

Robert nodded. "In a month and a half, actually."

"Where do you start?"

Robert thought about that for a moment. Then, "Right here, actually. I start in this city, and Hard Rock's the first place I'll be performing at."

"Do you have a band or musician who's opening for you yet?" Nate was aware that this was starting to sound an awful lot like interrogation, and there was probably a better way to go about this, but Nate didn't think Robert would mind. If anything, Robert would find it amusing. Just like he found everything about Nate amusing.

"Why does this suddenly feel like an interrogation, Nate?" Robert asked, amused. Nate rolled his eyes. "Do you want me to consider your client for it?"

Nate hesitated for just a moment, before saying, "Yes." As an afterthought, he added, "Please."

Robert reached out and ruffled Nate's hair. Nate scowled at him, but Robert ignored him. "Anything for you, Nate. I'll still have to get in touch with my Manager, though. How about this? I'll talk to her, and she'll schedule a meeting with you and your client, uh, probably a few weeks before I'm supposed to tour. Is that okay?"

Nate nodded, satisfied. Having nothing more to say, he decided to turn around and stare at Hard Rock from a distance. If he couldn't listen to Mihael's performance, he could at least try to imagine what it must be like. He pictured Mihael, confident and charming on stage, singing with his eyes closed, moving all around the stage, probably winking at some of the women. And then he pictured Mihael searching the crowd for him, wondering where he'd gone off to. Nate quickly shook his head. Obviously, Mihael wouldn't be searching for _him_ in that crowd. Nate needed to stop living under such delusions.

Nate was about to turn around and suggest Robert and him go elsewhere when something caught his attention. No, not something. It was _someon_ e that caught his attention. Nate stared across the street, blinking a few times.

Matt stood at the door, looking around for something. Nate couldn't quite figure out what it was that Matt found so important, that he'd miss his best friend's performance for. Nate excused himself from Robert with a quick 'I'll be back' before crossing the street.

"Matt," Nate called out, making his way over to Matt. Matt immediately looked at him and Nate realized there was a certain look of panic on his face. Nate frowned. "Why are you out here?"

Matt practically lunged at Nate, grabbing hold of his arm tightly. "Nate! I was looking for you!"

Nate stared at Matt in confusion. "Why were you looking for me?"

"It's Mello. He, uh, he kinda...froze on stage. He's probably having some kind of panic attack, and I just figured you'd know what to do." Matt explained, dragging Nate inside as he did.

"What do you mean, Matt? Didn't you try to calm him down?" Nate asked, increasing his pace as he followed Matt backstage. On the way, he saw Takada talking to a very pissed off Dane, trying her best to calm him down. Takada, herself, looked very troubled. Nate stared around at the crowd. They were all whispering, pointing at the presently empty stage. The stage Mihael was supposed to be on, _performing_ on.

"Dane looks pissed." Nate commented.

Matt looked back at Nate, raising an eyebrow. "Who?"

Nate shook his head. "Nothing, nothing." They continued walking in silence until they reached the backstage. Nate came to a halt just at the entrance, while Matt walked right in.

Mihael was sitting on the chair, head bent low, face buried in his palms. One of the band members held on to his guitar, while Linda knelt down beside him, rubbing his arm soothingly. She was also saying something to Mihael, but Nate wasn't close enough to hear her. Schooling his features into one of stoic indifference, Nate strode in.

"What's going on?" He asked, looking around at everyone.

Mihael looked up instantly. His eyes met Nate's and there was a hint of relief in them, but there was also something else in them that Nate couldn't quite comprehend. "Mihael, what's wrong?" Nate asked, walking up to him.

"I panicked," Mihael said truthfully, looking away. "I just... _froze._ "

Nate swallowed, taking another step closer. His knees now bumped against Mihael's. "Why? You never panic."

"I...don't know." Mihael said, looking up at Nate. "Where were you, anyway? I didn't see you in the crowd." Mihael sounded forcefully casual.

Nate's heart began to race. "You noticed?"

"I did."

"Right," Nate said, trying to slow his racing heartbeats, "I was just outside, with Robert. I needed to talk to him about something."

"Couldn't it have waited?"

Nate was taken aback at the accusatory tone. He scowled at Mihael. "I figured Kiyomi Takada would've had it under control, and you didn't need me around. Speaking of, where _is_ she? Why isn't she here, trying to comfort you?"

"She _was_ here," Mihael snapped. "She went to talk to her boss in order to convince him to give me another chance."

Nate glared at Mihael. "I didn't expect you to freeze up on stage."

"Yeah, well, I fucked up. _Obviously_." Mihael said, burying his face in his hands once more.

Nate felt his composure falter, his mask of indifference slipping away momentarily, leaving behind a soft, sympathetic gaze. Before Nate could really stop himself, he'd knelt down and grabbed hold of Mihael's wrist, pulling his hand away from his face. A part of Nate wanted to reach out and tuck Mihael's hair behind his ear, just to feel its texture. Nate clenched his free hand into a fist. "Mihael." He said. There was a softness in Nate's voice that had never been there before. Mihael slowly lifted his head up, eyes fixing on Nate. "It's okay. Everyone fucks up."

"I know," Mihael sighed, glancing at Nate's hand, still wrapped around his wrist. Nate immediately let go. "I just feel bad for Kiyomi. And _you_. This can't have reflected well on you, either."

"It's okay," Nate said, abruptly standing up. He dusted invisible dirt off his pants as he added, "I'll just go and speak to Dane." He turned around and walked away from there. He made his way through the overly crowded venue, having to push his way past some people who couldn't stop talking about what had just happened. Nate ignored them, especially when they turned to give him dirty looks and instead focused on finding Dane and Takada.

Nate spotted them sitting at a table in the corner. He quickly made his way over to them. "Dane!" He called out, when he was close enough. "Miss Takada!" The two people in question looked up at Nate.

"Nate?" Takada said, staring at him in surprise. "Where have you been?"

"That's irrelevant," Nate said dismissively, pulling out a chair and seating himself down. He looked straight at Dane. "We need to talk about what happened."

"There's nothing to talk about," Dane stated, leaning back in his chair. "Do you two have any idea how much you've embarrassed me? 'Give him a chance, Dane, we promise he won't let you down.' Well, he _did_ let me down." Dane looked at Takada, shaking his head in disappointment. "I thought I could count on you, Kiyomi."

Takada looked at Nate helplessly. Nate, for his part, was pissed and strangely, none of his anger was directed at Takada. "Dane," He grit out, "Everyone has fucked up at some point. I've seen celebrities bigger than Mihael fumble on stage before. You're being incredibly unfair to my client."

"You see, when celebrities screw up, it's alright, because they have _fans_ and fans _understand_ ," Dane argued. "Your client, I'm sorry to say, wasn't in a position to screw up. What if he can't perform? I have no backup performer, because I relied solely on your client."

Nate had to resist the urge to snap at the man. Calmly, he said, "He _will_ perform. Just hold the crowd for ten minutes, and I assure you, my client will be ready to perform. This is just a big crowd for him, and it's new to him."

Dane didn't look convinced. Nate shot a look at Takada, staring meaningfully at her. Takada nodded and looked at Dane. "Listen," She began, "Nate's right. You said you trust my judgment, right? I'm telling you, once Mihael performs, you're going to love him."

"Your view might be biased. You know, since he's your boyfriend." Dane pointed out.

Takada rolled her eyes and patted Nate's arm gently. "Well, Nate's his agent. He isn't his boyfriend. He has no reason to be biased."

Nate cleared his throat. "She's right. Mihael certainly isn't my boyfriend." Nate struggled to keep his face neutral. Dane still looked uncertain and so Nate added, "Besides, you just said you have no backup performers. You have no choice but to let Mihael play."

"Fine," Dane relented, standing up. "Make sure he's ready in ten minutes." With that, he walked over to the stage, grabbing hold of the mic. Clearing his throat once, Dane spoke directly into it. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I understand that there's been a slight inconvenience in regards to our performer. I just wanted to say that I'd appreciate it if you all could hold out for another ten minutes, and our performer, Mihael Keehl, will be ready to perform. Thank you so much for your patience." With that out of the way, Dane stepped off the stage. He stared pointedly at Nate and Takada, then stalked off to the bar.

Nate and Takada exchanged similar looks of relief. Takada smiled and grabbed Nate's arm, squeezing lightly. "Thank you so much, Nate!"

Nate pulled his arm out of her grip. "You don't have to thank for me anything. I just did my job."

-x-

This time, when Mihael got on stage, Nate was amongst the crowd. He decided he could wait through one song, and then he'd go back to Robert Fischer, the man Nate had momentarily forgotten about. Nate's attention was pinned entirely to the stage, ignoring everyone else around him. He ignored Takada, who was standing just beside him, a wide grin on her face. Nate just wanted to pretend, he just wanted to _pretend_ that it was _him_ Mihael would seek out, and no one else. Nate knew that if he stood beside Takada, Mihael's gaze would fall on him, even if it was for a split second. A second was enough.

Mihael looked at him. Nate's lips twitched. He nodded his head in encouragement. Mihael smiled at him, acknowledging. Mihael's gaze shifted then, and Nate awkwardly looked down to his feet. He got what he'd wanted, it should've been enough. But it wasn't, it _wasn't_ and Nate _hated_ that it wasn't enough. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked the screen. There were three missed calls, and two text messages from Robert. Nate swore softly, opening the latest message.

 _'Nate, come on man, at least answer my calls. Look, I got sick of waiting out there by myself, and people were starting to recognize me, so I decided to leave. I'm going to some other night club. I'll talk to my manager and let you know what she says. Cya. Oh, and good luck to your client.'_

Nate sighed, feeling only marginally guilty. But then he heard Mihael begin to sing, and even that slight guilt he _did_ feel vanished entirely. Nate typed out a quick response to Robert. _'Thanks, Robert. Mihael needed me, so I had to go back in.'_ He then stuffed his phone back into his pocket, looking up at Mihael once more.

And with a sudden leap of his heart, Nate realized that Mihael was looking straight at him, and he continued to, for the duration of his performance. He never once looked at Takada.

-x-

Nate, Takada, Matt and Linda were waiting for Mihael at a table when he was finally done with his performance. There was light chatter at the table which Nate had politely excused himself from. Instead, he looked around the cafe, waiting for Mihael to show up. Nate just wanted to congratulate him on a good performance and then he could be on his way, go _home_ and spend the remainder of the night, just thinking. It would've been one thing if it was just him and Mihael. Nate would probably have wanted to spend more time outside then, but this wasn't just Mihael. This was Mihael and his _girlfriend_ and Mihael's best friend and _his_ girlfriend. Nate didn't fit in here.

"Nate, what will you drink?" Matt, who'd just gotten up from his seat, broke Nate out of his thoughts. Nate glanced up at him in question. "I was just gonna go get some."

"Nothing," Nate answered. "I'm just waiting for Mihael to show up, and then I'll be leaving."

Matt shrugged and headed for the bar. Linda looked at Nate and smiled politely. "I think you should stay, hang out with us. I'm sure Mihael would like that, too." She offered. Takada nodded in agreement.

Nate coughed awkwardly and shook his head. "No, I'd rather not."

"What would you rather not?" Mihael's voice came through. He stood just behind Nate's chair, hands resting casually on the back. Nate surreptitiously pushed closer to the back, and felt Mihael's fingertips brush his shoulders slightly.

"We were asking Nate to have a few drinks with us," Linda informed Mihael.

Mihael let out a laugh, stepping closer to the chair. He casually rested his hands on Nate's shoulders, rubbing them softly. Nate's breath hitched. "Nate probably shouldn't drink," Mihael said, still laughing. "Otherwise, I'm going to have to drop him home, _again_."

"Nate's a grown man," Linda argued. "I'm sure he can handle his drinks." Linda then looked over her shoulder, presumably at Matt, and frowned. "Unlike Matt."

Nate abruptly stood up, forcing Mihael to take a step back. He turned around and faced Mihael fully. He stuck his hand out to him. "You were good tonight."

Mihael shook his head, running his fingers through his hair, easing out the tangles in them. Nate followed the movement carefully. "I sucked ass tonight," Mihael said.

Nate frowned. "No, you didn't. You were good."

Mihael smiled, bringing his hand out and shaking Nate's lightly. "Thank you, Nate."

Nate stood there a moment longer, expecting something else. Something _more_. When Mihael just stared at him, smile still intact, Nate realized that there was going to be _nothing_ more. Matt had returned with drinks, and he'd set them down on the table. Mihael was probably just waiting for Nate to leave, so he could go ahead and join his friends. Nate decided to leave him to it, and so he turned around in order to face the rest of them. "I'll take my leave," He announced, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Nice to meet you all."

"You sure you don't want to hang around?" Matt asked.

Nate shook his head. "I'm sure." He then looked at Mihael, bid goodbye to him and walked out of the cafe.

-x-

Nate was just short of reaching his car when he heard someone call out to him from a distance. Turning around, he saw Mihael running up to him, waving his hand out. He stopped just in front of Nate, panting slightly.

"You have a hearing problem," Mihael complained, still trying to catch his breath. "I've been calling out to you for the past few minutes."

"I...I'm sorry?" Nate said. "I thought you were inside, with your friends."

"I'll be going in," Mihael clarified, "But I just figured I'd walk you to your car." Nate noticed, to his surprise and considerable pleasure, that Mihael's cheeks had turned pink.

Nate pointed at a car just a few feet away. "My car's right there, though."

"Might as well walk with you, since I'm here already," Mihael said, shrugging. He began walking, while Nate remained rooted in place. When he realized Nate wasn't, in fact, walking beside him, Mihael turned around and added, impatiently, "What are you stopping there for?"

Nate quickly shook his head and caught up to Mihael. They walked in silence, Nate occasionally glancing over at Mihael's face, who seemed to be staring straight ahead. "Mihael –," Nate began, but was cut off by Mihael stopping abruptly in his tracks and rounding on Nate.

"Listen, Nate," Mihael started, then stopped. He looked around awkwardly, before settling his gaze on Nate once more. "I...uh...who's Robert?"

Nate, who'd been staring expectantly at Mihael, was caught off guard by the seemingly random question. "Robert Fischer?" He asked, eyebrows furrowing. Mihael nodded. "He used to be a client. Why?"

"Nothing, nothing." Mihael said, waving his hand around. He pointed at Nate's car, which was just two cars down. "Your car's right there."

Nate continued staring at Mihael, trying to decipher his expression. Nate liked to think that he was good at it, but Mihael's face conveyed a lot at once, and so it was hard to distinguish every single expression and what its possible meaning could have been. And so, despite the fact that there were other things Nate would've liked to say, like, 'Why did it bother you that I went outside with Robert,' or 'Why did you have to follow me outside and walk me to my car,' all he said, instead, was, "Yes, my car's right there."

No one moved, though. An awkward silence descended between the two, Nate shifting uncomfortably on his feet, and Mihael fidgeting with his hands. Then, just when Nate decided that he needed to just _leave already_ , Mihael leaned forward and pulled Nate into a tight hug. Nate froze momentarily, Mihael's arms wrapping themselves around his shoulders. Nate felt Mihael's face bury itself into his hair, exhaling softly into his ear. Nate closed his eyes, his own arms circling Mihael's waist.

Nate had hugged Mihael a few times before this, but none of those felt as intimate and physically charged as this one. Nate could feel Mihael's hold tightening, almost desperate in its action, and that only served to confuse him. His confusion, however, didn't stop him from sliding his own arms up Mihael's back, pulling him closer, the distance between the lower half of their bodies slowly diminishing. Nate had to be careful, though. He needed to make sure there was a respectable distance between them, because it would be _awfully easy_ for a seemingly innocent hug to turn entirely inappropriate. It didn't matter that there were no people around this driveway, and so there would be no witnesses. Mihael had a girlfriend, and most importantly, Mihael had no idea how Nate felt about him. It would be wrong to take advantage of what was quite possibly a hug of gratitude, and nothing more.

Regretfully, Nate slowly pulled away from the hug, his arms slowly sliding back down to rest lightly on Mihael's hips. Mihael moved his face away from Nate's hair, pulling back slightly and staring at Nate's face. He didn't drop his arms from around Nate's neck. "Thank you." He whispered.

Nate nodded, swallowing thickly.

Mihael dropped his arms then, stepping out of Nate's embrace entirely. "Goodnight, Nate." And without another word, Mihael turned around and walked away, breaking into a run once he was a little distance away.

Nate continued staring after Mihael a moment longer, before finally regaining his senses and heading for his car.

* * *

Nate was in a relatively good mood when he walked into work the next day. He even smiled politely and nodded at Misa in greeting as he made his way over to the elevators. Misa stared dumbly at him for a moment, before regaining her composure enough to smile and say, "Good Morning, Nate."

Nate stopped in front of the elevator doors, waiting for it to arrive. He tapped his feet impatiently, pulling his phone out of his pocket and staring expectantly at the screen. There was absolutely nothing new. Nate sighed, stuffing the phone back into his pocket. The elevator finally arrived, the doors opening.

Nate blindly walked in, not particularly stopping to let the elevator's current occupants file out, and so he ended up bumping into a very feminine body. Nate immediately backed away, staring at the woman he'd just unceremoniously bumped into.

Sayu Yagami stood in front of him, an awkward smile on her face. Nate cleared his throat, looking down to his feet. "I'm sorry." He said. He then looked over her shoulder, at Light and L standing behind her, both of them smiling in amusement. Nate scowled and quickly stepped out of the elevator, giving them space to get out.

"Thanks," Sayu said as she stepped out, smiling at Nate. Nate pointedly ignored her.

"You need to be a bit more patient, Nate," Light teased, stepping out of the elevator, L following behind him.

"Thanks for the unsolicited advice," Nate snapped, walking into the elevator. He went to close the doors when L stopped him, sticking his foot in between the closing doors. Nate narrowed his eyes at L.

"Be nice," L said, refusing to move his foot away. "Light was just teasing."

"I don't like being teased," Nate argued, glaring at Light. "Especially not by someone like _him_."

"Nate," L warned, staring meaningfully at him.

Light rested his palm on L's shoulder, shaking his head lightly. "It's fine, L." He said, sounding unconcerned. "I can't help it if he still holds a grudge against me." Light then gestured at Sayu, who'd been standing off to the side, staring at her phone awkwardly and added, "As long as he doesn't act like an ass to her."

Nate frowned. "I'm not an ass to anyone. Especially not to Sayu Yagami. I barely even see her."

Light laughed, his hand still on L's shoulder. L didn't seem to mind, and _that_ seemed to bother Nate for unexplainable reasons. "You're going to see a lot more of Sayu," Light said. Nate raised his brows questioningly. "I'm handing her over to LTA."

"What?" Nate exclaimed, glancing at Sayu. She refused to meet his gaze. "Is this true?"

Sayu nodded, still not looking at Nate. That didn't matter to Nate, for he'd already turned his gaze back to Light. "Why aren't you representing her anymore?" He asked.

Light shrugged, appearing nonchalant. "I wanted to focus on some other clients. L was willing to represent Sayu, so it worked out."

Nate stared accusingly at L. "Who do you plan to have as her agent?"

L looked thoughtful. "I haven't decided yet." A slow smile crept across his face. "I'm probably not considering you, Nate. You have your client, and you're doing a good job with him. I don't want to take that away from you."

Nate's cheeks turned pink. "That's...that's not…" He shook his head and tried once again. "As an agent, I'm more than capable of handling more clients."

"Whoever I assign to Sayu is going to have to make her the priority. You obviously like Mihael, and I'm sure you'd want to make him your priority, wouldn't you?" L said, his smile still intact. Nate wanted to punch that smile off his face.

"It's nothing like that," Nate argued. "I know how to prioritize every single one of my clients."

"Nate," L sighed, "Do you want me to assign you as Sayu's agent?"

At this, Sayu looked up from her phone, eyes widening at Nate. "I never said that," he said, a little too defensively. "Now, can you please move your leg so I can go do some work?" As if to emphasize his impatience, Nate nudged L's foot with his own.

L did not budge.. "No," he said, shaking his head. "We're all going out to eat, and I'd like for you to join, as well."

Nate glared at L. "No, I have work."

"This is work," L insisted, dropping his foot and grabbing Nate's arm. "Halle Lidner is going to join us, too."

Nate's ears perked up at the mention of Halle's name. "She is?"

"Yes," L confirmed, dragging Nate out of the elevator. "Like I said, this could be work for you."

"Alright," Nate snapped, pulling his hand out of L's grip. "I can walk on my own."

L shrugged and walked ahead with Light. Slowly, Nate followed after them, still ignoring Sayu as she fell in step beside him.

-x-

Halle Lidner was a confident woman, much like the rest of the women Nate had come into contact with in his life. She had an air of authority to her, and rightfully so, for she was the head of the most sought after recording company. Nate had worked with her a few times, for some of his previous clients, and now here he was again, hoping for the same for Mihael.

Nate was also a realist, and so he was fully prepared for Halle to turn him down, not harshly, but firm all the same. Still, what kind of agent would he be if he didn't even try?

Halle sat at a table, dressed formally. She was casually flipping through the menu when Nate, L, Light and Sayu joined her. She smiled up at them, and then set her menu aside. Standing up, she shook hands with each one of them, with a polite, "Nice to meet you."

Once they were all seated, Halle looked at Nate. "So, Nate, it's been a while since I heard from you."

Nate nodded politely. "I didn't particularly have clients worthy enough to bring to your attention, unfortunately."

"That's a pity," Halle commented lightly, leaning back against her chair. She then directed her attention to Light. "How about you, Light? I believe there's a reason we scheduled this brunch, didn't we?"

Before Light could really answer, Nate cut him off. "I actually wanted to talk to you about my client, Miss Lidner. If you wouldn't mind?" Halle nodded. "Can we go outside?"

Halle stood up, as did Nate, both excusing themselves from the rest. Halle stopped just outside the restaurant, her heeled foot tapping lightly on the pavement. Not particularly a show of impatience, Nate was certain, yet he hurried on with whatever it was he had to say anyway, before Halle decided she wasn't interested in listening to him anymore. "So, about my client."

"Yes, about your client," Halle said, "What's his name?"

"Mihael Keehl," Nate answered promptly.

"Mihael Keehl," Halle repeated, mostly to herself. "Never heard of him."

"He recently did a gig at Hard Rock," Nate informed. "People loved him. He's been doing gigs for the past four-five months now, and he's developed a considerable fan base in that time. He's a very talented man. If there is anyone who deserves to have an album out, it's him."

Halle stared at Nate for a moment, her lips twitching in amusement. "You say that about all your clients, Nate."

"Except, I absolutely mean it for Mihael. And besides, when have I ever disappointed?"

Halle considered this for a long moment. At length, she said, "Alright. I have nothing scheduled for after lunch, so why don't you just come in with your client? We can have a little chat, discuss details and you can also give me your client's demo, so I can listen to it."

"I have his demo with me right now," Nate said quickly, "It's inside, in my bag."

Halle laughed out loud. "Alright, just hand it over to me once we finish brunch. I'll listen to it. I might have a meeting immediately after brunch, but I'm free for half an hour after that. You can come by then."

Nate nodded in acknowledgment. Halle tilted her head towards the restaurant entrance. "Shall we go back inside?" She asked. "Or is there anything else?"

"Nothing else," Nate responded, moving to pull the door open. He stood to the side, waiting for Halle to walk through. Rolling her eyes, Halle walked in, Nate following behind her, allowing himself a small, satisfied smile.

-x-

It turned out, the main purpose for the brunch with Halle Lidner had been for Light to talk to her about his sister, Sayu, but each time Light made an attempt to speak to Halle, Nate had jumped in and slipped Mihael into the conversation, making Light shoot annoyed glances at him. Nate pretended not to notice, instead casually pecked at his food.

By the time brunch was finished and Halle was getting ready to leave, Light had barely managed to get in a word. And so, in a last ditch effort, Light politely offered to walk Halle back to her car. Light then looked at Nate warily, waiting for him to ruin this for him, too. Nate simply shrugged, pulling his cellphone out and scrolling through it.

"Nate, come by the studio in an hour. Please don't be late." Halle told him, adjusting her coat. She patted the pockets, then sifted through her handbag. Finally, she looked back up at Nate and asked, "Did you give me the CD?"

Nate shook his head, reaching into the small office bag he had slung around his shoulder and pulled out a CD. He handed it over to Halle. "There it is. I'll see you in an hour, Miss Lidner."

With a nod of her head, Halle walked out of the restaurant, Light trailing after her, increasing his strides in order to catch up to her. L, Sayu and Nate stood by the table, each unsure of what to do. Sayu looked around the restaurant awkwardly, smiling politely at two young girls who were blatantly staring at her. Nate frowned, not necessarily at Sayu's politeness, but more at the girls' rudeness.

"Nate, what was that about?" L finally broke the silence, his voice stern.

Nate played dumb. "What do you mean?"

"We'd scheduled this brunch for Light to talk to Halle about Sayu's record deal," L explained. "You know how busy that lady is. Why didn't you let Light talk to her?"

"But he _is_ talking to her," Nate pointed out, "He's walking her to her car, isn't he?"

"You know what I meant," L said shortly. "Nate, you need to get over whatever grudges you're holding against Light. I'm over it, and you should be, too."

"Light Yagami isn't even important enough for me to hold a grudge against," Nate snapped, glowering at L. "You told me this was work, and you were right. It was. The opportunity was right there, and so I took it."

"You don't do it at the cost of stealing someone else's opportunity, Nate."

"That's funny, considering that's exactly what Light Yagami does," Nate remarked.

L let out a frustrated sigh. "I give up," he finally relented. "There is no reasoning with you."

Nate smirked. "You always knew that." A beat, then, "I should get going. I need to get Mihael to the studio within the next…" Nate glanced down at his phone screen, then continued, "Forty five minutes."

"You can just ask him to meet you there," L suggested.

Nate shook his head. "I don't trust him to be on time. I mean, he's not disappointed so far, but this is quite important." And besides, Nate just really wanted to see Mihael in his apartment, strange as it sounded. He liked the thought of seeing Mihael in a setting he hadn't seen him in before, and Nate imagined Mihael would be a different person at home. He'd be a lot more relaxed, unconcerned by his appearance. It was something Nate really _really_ wanted to see.

And judging by the sly smile on his face, L seemed to understand Nate's need quite perfectly. "Alright, go on then." He said. "I'll drop Sayu back home."

Nate didn't have to be told twice. With a quick goodbye to both L and Sayu, Nate was out of there. He hurriedly walked over to where his car was parked. Once at his car, Nate wasted no time, instead sat inside and began driving. He knew he should probably call Mihael before he just landed up at his apartment, unannounced but Nate thought that'd be an unnecessary waste of time. There was barely enough time for Nate to make it to Mihael's apartment, get him out, convince him to ride in Nate's car instead of bringing out his motorbike, and then finally drive to the studio.

And so Nate continued driving, until he reached Mihael's apartment building. It was strange, that despite having been here just once, Nate remembered exactly where it was. Vaguely, Nate thought that this was probably creepy. Then he dismissed the thought, attributing it instead to his superior memory skills. He quickly parked his car, got out and entered the building, quickly spotting Mihael's apartment.

Once at the door, Nate hesitated. He knew he was supposed to knock, of course. He couldn't just walk right in. That would be extremely rude, and if Mihael were to do that to Nate, Nate would be annoyed. So he knocked. And he waited. Three minutes passed, and there was no response. Nate knocked again. He waited one more minute. When there was no response, Nate tried turning the knob. The door opened easily. _Must be in the shower, no harm done if I just wait in the living room_ , Nate reasoned, stepping inside tentatively and gently closing the door behind him. The living room was completely empty. Nate debated between sitting on the couch, patiently waiting until someone stepped out, and going to the bedroom and knocking on the door, making his presence known. He ended up picking the latter.

When Nate reached the bedroom door, he found himself in the same predicament as before. There was no response to his knocks, but Nate was positive there was someone inside. He could hear sounds. They were muffled, but they were sounds all the same. Nate decided to try his luck and slowly turned the knob. It wasn't locked. Taking a deep breath, Nate opened the door in one swift motion, losing control over the knob and letting the door bang loudly against the wall.

But Nate wasn't concerned by _that_. He stood in the doorway, staring open mouthed and wide eyed at the sight that met him.

In front of him, on the bed, was Mihael, _naked_ , while Kiyomi Takada laid on top of him, just as naked, one of her hands loosely fisted around a certain part of Mihael's anatomy that Nate was trying very hard _not_ to stare at. They both looked at Nate in horrified silence.

Nate, for his part, stood frozen in place. Takada made desperate attempts to cover herself up, reaching her hand behind and pulling the covers over herself and Mihael as best as she could. It didn't really help much, and so Takada simply buried her face into Mihael's chest, refusing to look at Nate anymore.

Nate was least concerned about what she did, or the fact that she was naked. He couldn't stop staring at Mihael, naked in front of him, and his piercing gaze on Nate's face, the surprise not fading. Nate struggled to keep his eyes fixated on Mihael's face, trying to to come up with something to say. But he couldn't think of anything, and his eyes kept slipping down, to _very inappropriate_ places. Nate saw something twitch under the sheet, but he was almost certain it was just Takada's hand. But when he dragged his gaze back to Mihael's face, he noted that Mihael had looked away. Was he embarrassed about something Nate had seen?

 _Of course he was_ , Nate had to tell himself. _He's naked, and you're just staring at him. Say something, Nate!_ Nate was aware that his mouth had gone dry, and that swallowing hurt, but he finally managed a choked, "I'm sorry. I'll just wait in the living room while you two...get dressed."

"That would be great," Mihael finally said, eyes meeting Nate's once more. Nate nodded and turned around, slowly closing the door behind him and obediently waiting in the living room, the image of Mihael, _naked_ , not quite fading from his mind.

* * *

 **a/n: feedback is appreciated :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: This chapter is super long, and what's funny is, chapter 13 is supposed to be split into two parts, because there's a lot I need to show in Mello's pov. This is actually the first part of it, and this itself is super long. Anyway, hope you enjoy.**

 **Also, I've upped the rating for this fic to 'Mature' just to play it safe. Let me know if the scene actually does warrant a mature, or if it's unnecessary.**

* * *

Chapter 13: Longing

As soon as Nate had shut the door behind him, Takada sprang up from the bed, hurriedly picking up her clothes that were strewn across the floor and putting them on. Mihael remained lying on his bed, still staring at the closed door. Had he imagined it, or had Nate actually been struggling to keep his eyes fixed on Mihael's face? Mihael wouldn't lie. He himself had been embarrassed, especially by his body's reaction to Nate so obviously checking him out. He'd had to look away, before Nate could catch his blush.

"Mihael! Aren't you going to get dressed?" Takada asked, standing at the foot of his bed, now fully dressed. "Nate's waiting outside." She then buried her face in her palms. "I can't believe he saw us...like that. That's just...that's just embarrassing!"

At least he wasn't checking _you_ out, Mihael wanted to say, but didn't. He was surprised by the heady feeling he got when he realized that it was _him_ Nate was interested in seeing naked, and _not_ Takada, despite how attractive she was. It just made him feel like he'd won something, even if there had been no contest to begin with.

Mihael slowly made a move to get up from the bed, but stopped immediately. He lifted the sheets slightly and stared at his little... _problem_. "You go ahead," Mihael told Takada, letting go of the sheets, letting it fall back on his body. "I have to take care of something."

Takada stared meaningfully at Mihael's lower half. "I'd help you, but…" she trailed off, staring at the door. "Nate's outside, and it wouldn't be appropriate."

"Yeah," Mihael agreed, still unmoving. "I'll just take care of it myself. You go out and keep him company."

Takada nodded and headed outside, leaving Mihael alone in the room. He finally stood up, letting the sheets fall off him. He stood there, torn between just putting his clothes on and hoping his problem would just vanish with time, and taking care of it right this instant. He knew Nate was waiting outside for him, and that he'd probably be extremely uncomfortable sitting there, with only Takada to keep him company. Mihael bit his lip, making a split second decision.

Slowly, he sat back down on the bed, slowly gripping his erection with his hand. He closed his eyes, sighing as he began moving his hand. It started off at a slow pace, but slowly built in momentum. Mihael tried to focus on Takada, feeling her hand on him instead of his own, pulling and tugging, and getting him close to the edge. He'd have plummeted, had it not been for Nate's sudden appearance, had it not been for Nate just _standing_ there, _staring_ at him with _those eyes_ , like he saw something he _longed_ for, possibly imagining himself in Takada's place. And just like that, Mihael's thoughts shifted, and suddenly it was Nate's hand he imagined, and Mihael felt terrible about it, but he couldn't stop himself, no matter how hard he tried. He imagined Nate's face, inches from his own, his other hand tangled in Mihael's hair, gripping tightly. He imagined grabbing hold of Nate's face with his own trembling, shaking hands, pulling him in for a ki-

Mihael felt himself fall over the edge, breathy moans escaping his parted lips as he came. It took him a few more moments to completely recover, his eyes slowly opening, his heart beats returning to a much more normal pace. Slowly, he stood up from his seat and got dressed. He knew that what he'd just done was wrong on so many levels, not that he had to get himself off, like hell he'd think that was wrong, but rather _who_ he'd just thought about while he got himself off. Mihael wasn't sure if what he'd just done counted as cheating, but he decided not to think too much about it. It wasn't like Takada would know, anyway. Not unless he told Takada, and he'd _never_ do something like that. It was a harmless little fantasy. It wasn't like he'd ever act on it.

Inspecting his reflection in the mirror once, and smoothing out the tangles in his hair, Mihael finally left the room, with each step, dreading the the awkwardness that was bound to be present once he made it to the living room.

He was right. Once he was in the living room, the first thing he noticed was that Takada and Nate were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, as far away from each other as possible. They didn't even look at each other, let alone talk. Mihael sighed, clearing his throat to make his presence known.

Nate and Takada immediately looked up at him. Mihael, however, directed his attention to Nate. "So, why did you unceremoniously just barge into my room, Nate? I'm assuming there was a reason?"

Nate awkwardly nodded. "I needed you to come with me for something."

"Couldn't it have waited?"

Nate shook his head. "It's an important meeting."

"Nate," Mihael sighed, exasperated, "You could've at least _called_ before coming." Something occurred to him then. "How did you know where I live?"

Mihael saw Nate look down in embarrassment, refusing to meet his gaze. Nate then mumbled something, which Mihael couldn't quite catch. And so he asked, "What?"

"I _said,_ " Nate said, louder this time, "That that's irrelevant. We're running out of time. There's an important meeting that we need to be at in less than half an hour, and we can't be late."

Mihael stared helplessly at Takada. Takada smiled at him, standing up and adjusting her shirt. "It's fine," She said, walking over to Mihael. She placed her hand on his cheek, rubbing her thumb across it gently. "I'll leave. I'll see if any of my friends want to hang out. I need to make the most of my day off, after all."

"I'm sorry," Mihael told her sincerely, kissing her softly on the lips. Pulling away, he added, "I'll come for you once my meeting's done. I promise."

Takada nodded. Kissing him once more, she left the apartment, still refusing to look at Nate. Once she was gone, Mihael stared indignantly at Nate.

"What?" Nate snapped, suddenly defensive.

"Ever heard of knocking before entering, Nate?" Mihael asked sarcastically. "It's the nice, polite thing to do, you know."

"I _did_ knock," Nate countered, glaring at Mihael. "It's not _m_ y fault that you were too busy having sex with your girlfriend to hear it!" It was the accusatory tone in Nate's voice that really got to Mihael, setting his temper off.

"It was her day off, and I had nothing to do, so _of course_ you should've expected that!"

Nate closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly, as though Mihael were a small child throwing a tantrum and Nate had no option but to take it all in. For some reason, this just pissed Mihael off further. Finally, Nate said, his voice calm and his expression collected, "We need to go, Mihael. You do not want to miss out on this meeting."

"Maybe I do," Mihael snapped.

"Really? So you're just content to be performing at a select few clubs in the city for the rest of your life? Is that what your _girlfriend_ told you to do? As far as she's concerned, she'd be happy to let you perform at Hard Rock for the rest of your career, because it makes _her_ look good." Nate realized a moment too late that he'd probably gone too far, but there was nothing he could do. He'd said what he'd said, and Mihael had heard it, and really, there was nothing more to be said. So Nate remained perfectly silent, his expression never changing. Despite what he'd just said, Mihael was surprised that Nate didn't look apologetic in the least.

"That's not fair," Mihael grit out, "She just wants what's best for me, and she'd never hold me back from anything that could potentially advance my career, and you _know_ that. Just like Matt does what he does for me because he's my best friend and he _cares_ about me. If anything, the only one with selfish motives here is _you_ , Nate. _Not_ Kiyomi."

Nate's eyes widened. Mihael immediately backtracked. "That's not what I meant-"

But Nate was quick, cutting off whatever Mihael had to say with a cool, "Can we please just leave? I can't imagine we have too much time to sit and argue right now." With that said, he shuffled out of the apartment, leaving the door open behind him, clearly expecting Mihael to follow.

Mihael stood in the apartment a moment longer, thinking over what he'd just said to Nate. It was a harsh thing to say, yes, but didn't it also hold a certain degree of truth to it? Wasn't Nate, ultimately, just using Mihael in order to up his own reputation as a talented agent? If Mihael succeeded, Nate would be the one people would congratulate on a job well done, that Nate could turn someone like Mihael, a _nobody_ , into a famous musician. In the end, all that Nate did for Mihael was out of professional interest, and not personal.

"Mihael." Nate stood at the doorway, breaking Mihael out of his thoughts, looking impatient. "Are you going to get out of the apartment or not?"

Mihael quickly nodded, walking out the apartment. Nate turned around and began walking once more, leaving Mihael to stare at the back of his head, thinking about everything that had transpired in the apartment, but all Mihael's mind kept going back to was the way Nate had stared at him in the room, and the imaginary feeling of his hand on Mihael's body.

-x-

Mihael had been looking out the window when Nate finally stopped the car. He turned to look at Nate, and past him, at the tall building they'd just stopped in front of. Mihael thought nothing of it, just vaguely intimidated by how big the studio was, and if he'd be considered good enough for them to sign a deal with.

It was only when they both had gotten out of the car that Mihael read the name of the studio. Dread filled his insides, halting him in his tracks. Nate was already at the door, holding it open for Mihael to walk through. Mihael refused to move. There was no way he could do this. He wasn't going to walk into this studio, especially with Nate present.

"Mihael?" Nate called out to him.

"I can't go in there," Mihael answered, shaking his head. "I can't."

Nate frowned at him, taking a step towards Mihael. "Why not?"

Mihael couldn't find it in himself to tell Nate the truth, that this was the same recording studio Mihael had unceremoniously walked into all those months ago, with no appointment, causing a huge commotion. This was the same recording studio that Mihael was quite possibly banned from, because of all the inconvenience he'd caused to the employees and musicians alike, by refusing to leave and having to be escorted by security guards. If Nate found out, he'd hate Mihael for it. And Mihael wasn't sure he could handle that.

"Mihael?" Nate's voice broke through to him. He sounded annoyed.

"Look, Nate, I don't want to go in there." Mihael said.

"And I asked you, _why not?_ "

"Because…" Mihael fumbled around for a convincing lie. He found the perfect one. "Because it's a huge recording studio, one of the best in the country. There's no way they'd sign with someone like me." In truth, that wasn't even a lie. Both Nate and Mihael knew the improbability that these guys would even consider someone like Mihael.

But Nate was having none of it. "I don't appreciate a show of such poor faith in my abilities, Mihael."

"I'm not doubting you," Mihael insisted, trying to change tactics. "I'm doubting myself."

"You don't need to," Nate said, softening his tone and grabbing hold of Mihael's arm. "Just come with me, and let me take care of things." He started pulling Mihael towards the door.

Mihael tried to resist, but there was no point to it. Nate would remain adamant until Mihael would either have to give in, and just do as he said, or come clean about everything. Mihael decided to give in, letting Nate lead him through the door. It was months ago. They probably wouldn't even recognize him. He liked to think he'd changed a lot since then, especially temperamentally.

As soon as they stepped into the lobby, however, and the receptionist's eyes fell on Mihael, Mihael cringed, losing some of his nerve. Mihael wasn't certain if she'd been around back then, but there was a chance she probably had been. Mihael half expected her to scowl at him in recognition and immediately call the guards on him. Instead, the receptionist simply looked at him, smiled politely and told them which way to go.

Mihael was surprised, but he wasn't complaining. They'd forgotten about him, after all. He felt lighter all of a sudden, and happier. It suddenly hit him that this was his chance, the one chance he'd have to make himself known throughout the country, and not just one city, and especially not in just a select few clubs.

He continued walking down the hallway, Nate at his side, with a relaxed smile on his face. He smiled at the people in front of him, walking in the opposite direction. His heart leapt when they nodded and smiled back at him. He'd been worried for absolutely nothing. Of course they didn't recognize him. It had been months, after all.

Nate came to a stop in front of a door, and Mihael stopped as well. He waited in nervous anticipation as Nate knocked on the door. Mihael could feel his stomach twist unpleasantly, but that was just one downside to this whole endeavour. He'd be fine, especially with Nate around. It could've been worse. He could've been forced to go for this meeting on his own. While Mihael had been able to handle all the other meetings on his own, he wasn't quite sure he could do this one on his own. He needed Nate for this one.

The door finally opened, revealing a tall, pretty blonde woman. She smiled at Nate in greeting, shaking his hand lightly. Her eyes then fell on Mihael, and her smile instantly faded, turning into a frown. Mihael felt his heart drop. There was no way she wouldn't have recognized him.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded of Mihael, eyes narrowing dangerously. "I thought I'd told you never to come back here."

Mihael gulped. "Look, I just-"

The woman looked at Nate. "Is he your client?"

Nate nodded slowly, his brows furrowing in confusion. "Is there a problem, Miss Lidner?"

"I'm sorry, this meeting's done. I'm never, in a million years, going to let my studio associate with someone like him." Halle shot a disgusted look at Mihael as she said this. She made a move to close the door, but Nate was quick.

He grabbed hold of the door, holding it open. "What do you mean, Miss Lidner?" He asked. "You've never even met my client before. How can you just assume he's not worthy?"

"Never met?" Halle repeated, laughing humorlessly. She stared pointedly at Mihael. "He doesn't know?"

Mihael bit his lip, looking from Nate to Halle and back to Nate. "I...I've been here before."

"That's understating it," Halle commented, glaring at Mihael. "He showed up here, months ago, _without an appointment_ , and caused a huge ruckus when we refused to entertain him, claiming we were being unfair and we're terrible people." She smiled unkindly at Mihael. "Isn't that right?"

Nate rounded on Mihael, staring at him with wide eyes. "Is this true, Mihael?"

Mihael nodded guiltily. "I'm sorry, Nate. But this was before I got you as my agent. I just...didn't know any better. I had a bit of a temper problem."

"A bit?" Halle said, annoyed. "That's not a bit." She then addressed Nate, her look softening at his shock. "Someone like him can't be a famous person, Nate. He has no control over himself."

Mihael looked down to his feet, feeling somewhat ashamed of himself. He knew he'd probably disappointed Nate, and for some reason, that didn't feel good. He felt horrible, and he wished there was something he could've said.

"With all due respect, Miss Lidner," He heard Nate's voice, and instantly looked up at him. Nate was looking at Halle with a determined expression. "I get why you'd be upset with my client. I'd have been upset, too. But believe me when I say, he's changed. If he hadn't, there's no way I'd have agreed to represent him. You aren't obligated to sign him on, but the least you could do is give him a chance to prove himself, can't you? You said so yourself, I've never disappointed you before."

"I don't know, Nate," Halle said, still reluctant. "I don't trust him."

"Trust _me_ , then." Nate insisted, holding Halle's gaze. "You can count on me, can't you? I'll give you my word for it. If anything goes wrong, it'll be on me."

Mihael followed the exchange silently, hoping to catch Nate's attention if only for a moment. He wanted to tell Nate that yes, there was no way he'd let him down, that yes, he was right in saying that Mihael had changed. Because Mihael knew he had, in these past months. Working with Nate had taught him a lot of important things, especially how to keep a check on his emotions and not let it rule him. As a result, Mihael had begun channeling every bit of restrained emotion into his songs, and that just worked to his advantage. His music was always a reflection of his emotions, and each time he performed them, there was a new meaning to it.

"Alright," Halle finally relented, catching Mihael off-guard. "Come on in."

-x-

Mihael was grinning from ear-to-ear once the meeting had ended, and he'd exited the recording studio, Nate in tow. One look at Nate's face and Mihael could tell he was struggling to hold back a smile, too.

"I honestly thought she'd write me off," Mihael said as they made their way over to Nate's parked car. "I am surprised she actually agreed to give me a chance."

Nate rolled his eyes. "Why? You know I'd have convinced her one way or another, don't you?"

Mihael nodded, still grinning. They stopped in front of Nate's car, and Mihael leaned against the hood of it, crossing his arms across his chest. Nate looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Why are you leaning against my car?"

"It's a nice day," Mihael commented offhandedly. "Can't we just hang out here for a while?"

"Didn't you want to get back to your girlfriend and resume...er...whatever it was you'd been doing?" Nate remarked, opening the door to the driver's side.

Mihael blinked. Right, of course. He'd almost forgotten about Takada, and that he'd told her he'd get back to her once the meeting was done. He knew he needed to keep his word, and he would, but that didn't mean he had to go to her right this instant, did it? He could spend just a little longer out here, couldn't he?

"Mihael," Nate called out, sticking his head out the window. Mihael shifted his body, leaning now on his side, looking at Nate. There was something inherently cute about Nate's expression, the slight frown on his lips, the way his brows were scrunched together, like he couldn't figure something out. Like he couldn't figure Mihael out.

Mihael didn't blame him. He couldn't figure himself out, either. All he knew was that he wasn't ready to leave just yet. "What are you going to do now?" He asked instead.

Nate's frown deepened. Mihael felt the sudden urge to kiss him just then. "Go home, of course." Nate answered.

"Can I come over?" Mihael blurted out, before he could really think through his words. He cringed internally, resisting the urge to bite his lip.

Nate stared at Mihael with open surprise. "Why?"

Mihael wished he knew the answer to it. As it stood, he didn't have one, and so he simply said, "Just."

"That's not an answer," Nate pointed out.

Nate still had a knack of getting on to Mihael's nerves, it seemed. "Nevermind, I'll just take a cab and go meet Kiyomi." Mihael pushed away from the car, pulling his cellphone out of his pocket in order to call Takada. He purposely didn't look at Nate, but smiled all the same when Nate called out, "No, wait!"

Mihael faced him fully once more, his grin widening. It was funny how easily he'd managed to put Nate in the spot, despite the fact that it was he who'd been in the spot just a moment before. "What is it?" He asked, trying to sound casual and indifferent. He wasn't sure if it worked.

"You can come over, if you'd like." Nate said, and with a sudden jolt, Mihael realized he was blushing.

Smirking, Mihael finally got into the passenger side of the car, waiting for Nate to start the car.

-x-

The last time Mihael had been in Nate's house, Nate had been drunk and Mihael had had to support him lest he fall and break his bones. Mihael had ended up spending the night and had had to cancel his date with Takada. Which, incidentally, was something he was doing now, too.

This time, however, nobody was drunk. Nate was perfectly in his senses, and was in fact standing outside the house, talking to someone on the phone, while Mihael threw himself on the couch, making himself comfortable. It was strange, just how at ease he felt, being in Nate's house, just being around Nate himself. It was the kind of ease and comfort and familiarity Mihael had only ever felt around Matt before. But Matt was Mihael's best friend, and Mihael had certainly never felt the same way about Matt as he did Nate. If he was being honest, Mihael wasn't sure what he felt for Nate, just that he liked being physically close to Nate, and yeah, Mihael could admit to himself, there was a part of him that wanted nothing more than to just kiss Nate.

Briefly, he wondered what it would be like. He wondered if Nate would push him away, or pull him close, would close his eyes or keep them open. He wondered if there was any way he affected Nate physically the same way Nate affected him. Mihael closed his eyes, shaking his head and smiling at the ridiculousness of his own thoughts.

"What are you smiling for?" Nate's voice broke through his haze, sounding curious.

Mihael snapped his eyes open, blinking up at Nate, trying to clear his head of the images that had formed just a few seconds ago. "Nothing," Mihael almost squeaked. Almost.

"I was on the phone with Robert's manager," Nate informed, clearly not concerned with Mihael's strange behavior. Nate took a seat beside Mihael on the couch, shifting his positioning so he was still facing Mihael. "She said they can meet us in two weeks."

Mihael made a conscious effort not to shift closer to Nate. "What are you talking about?"

"Right, I didn't tell you about it," Nate said. "When I was out with Robert Fischer during your gig at Hard Rock, I was talking to him about considering you as his tour opener."

At the mention of Robert's name, Mihael felt the bitterness rising in his throat. He quickly shoved it down and affected a casual expression. "He agreed, just like that?"

"Well, technically, he hasn't _agreed_ to anything," Nate corrected. "We're just going to be meeting with him and his manager two weeks from now. We'll see then."

Mihael would be lying if he said he wasn't thrilled at these developments. To think that just months ago, Mihael had had nothing. And now, here he was, with two very important meetings lined up for him in the span of two weeks, meetings that could very well determine the future of his career. He had an appointment scheduled with Halle's studio the following week, where they'd have Mihael sing for them, and would accordingly decide if they wanted to sign a contract with him.

And then a week after that, Mihael had a meeting with Robert Fischer, a well known pop-star, who, if all went well, Mihael would have a chance to open for on his much anticipated national tour. It was honestly surreal, the way Mihael's life had seemingly shifted in just a matter of months.

And it was all thanks to Nate.

Sure, they had gotten off to a rocky start, so much so that Mihael had considered ditching the agency altogether and going elsewhere, because that was the extent to which he couldn't stand Nate. However, somewhere in between disliking Nate and refusing to interact with him more than was strictly necessary, to actually seeking out his company, Mihael had to admit, he had grown to like him. A lot, if he was being entirely honest.

It was actually kind of funny, if he thought about it, for Mihael couldn't have possibly imagined, when he'd first met Nate, that there'd come a day when he'd be sitting beside Nate on the couch, trying to maintain his distance physically and trying to ignore the burning desire to just close the distance between them, to feel the softness of Nate's lips against his own.

Mihael shifted further away from Nate. Clearing his throat, he decided he needed to say something to Nate, thank him for all that he'd done for him. "Nate?"

Nate, who'd been staring off into the distance, brought his gaze to Mihael's face. "Yes?" He asked, staring expectantly.

"Thank you so much, for everything." Mihael said sincerely.

Nate couldn't stop the blush from rising to his cheeks. Watching him struggle made Mihael smile. "You don't have to thank me for doing my job, Mihael. It's not like I'm doing it for free. I make money off of you doing well." He said.

"I do need to," Mihael insisted, unconsciously shifting just a bit closer to Nate, despite his attempts to maintain a respectable distance. "You go above and beyond what you're supposed to do. For instance, you were never obligated to reply to my messages, yet you did. That counts for something, and I'm...glad you do it. I'm glad you think I'm worth the effort."

Nate remained perfectly silent, all traces of his previous blush fading. He simply gazed at Mihael seriously, his expression never wavering as he said, softly, "You deserve some credit, too. You're a good client, Mihael."

Mihael chuckled lowly. "Never thought you'd say that to me, did you? Remember how we started out?"

Nate couldn't help a smile of his own. "In vivid detail, actually."

Mihael let out another laugh, leaning his head against the back of the couch. "I'm so happy things are looking up for me," He said, sobering up.

"I can tell," Nate agreed.

"You know what?" Mihael said suddenly, sitting upright and grinning broadly at Nate. "I'm going to sing you a song. Maybe actually write you one."

"W-what?" Nate exclaimed, flustered.

"Hang on, I have something real good for you." Mihael said. He closed his eyes, his smile intact. Then, slowly, in his soft voice, he sang, _"Near, far, wherever you are-,"_ Mihael was interrupted in his singing by a punch to his arm. Opening his eyes, Mihael found Nate glaring at him, his hand still balled into a loose fist. Mihael couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Stop laughing," Nate snapped. Furrowing his brows, he added, "I don't like being called that, Mihael."

Mihael bit his lip, trying to stop his laughter. "Alright, I'm sorry," Mihael apologized. "Let's try this again, maybe this time with something original."

"You don't have to-"

But Nate's protests were cut off when Mihael, with his eyes open this time and fixed firmly on Nate's, sang, _"When I first met you…"_ Mihael smiled softly, catching the way Nate took in a deep breath, and continued, _"When I first met you... I thought you were fucking crazy."_ And then he burst into another round of laughter.

Nate frowned and looked away. "Very funny," he muttered.

Mihael stopped laughing, his smile still lingering. He leaned forward and ruffled Nate's hair, catching both himself and Nate off-guard by the impulsive action. Still, Mihael found that he couldn't move his hand. His fingers felt nice, buried in Nate's soft hair like that. Nate stared at Mihael. "No offense, Nate, but you _were_ fucking crazy." Mihael said, his voice dropping to just a little over a whisper.

Nate gulped, trying to glare at Mihael. "I wasn't. You were the crazy one, who just barged into the agency with no prior appointment, remember?" Nate raised a hand and grabbed hold of Mihael's wrist with every intention of moving Mihael's hand away from his hair.

Mihael let Nate move his hand, but instead of bringing his hand back to his side, Mihael decided to act on another impulse. He slid his hand out of Nate's grasp and instead intertwined his fingers with Nate's, tugging him closer. This felt so good. Nate's hand was warm in his, and suddenly Mihael's heart had picked up pace, and Mihael knew then that he wasn't going to stop what was, most likely, about to happen. Judging from Nate's face, with his cheeks tinged pink and his breath coming out quicker than normal, Mihael knew Nate wouldn't stop it from happening, either. "Yes, I remember." Mihael conceded, his voice still a whisper. "But you were the one who pulled the whole half contract crap on me. Remember?"

Nate had no answer to that. He just continued staring at Mihael's face, watching as Mihael leaned in closer. "I apologized for it." Nate managed weakly.

"And I forgave you for it."

"Right," Nate said, and then he went silent.

Mihael leaned even further, until there was hardly any space separating the two. Mihael studied Nate's face openly, trying to look for any sign that Nate might not want this. The last thing Mihael needed was to make Nate uncomfortable. Somewhere in the back of his mind, as Mihael lifted his other hand and rested it gently on Nate's shoulder, he knew that there was something he was forgetting. It was definitely something important, but for the moment, nothing felt important enough. The only thing that mattered was the way Nate's eyes had now closed, and the way he squeezed Mihael's hand in nervous anticipation. Mihael needed no further encouragement. He closed his own eyes, and thought about how wonderful this would feel, how much he'd been waiting for this moment, how much he liked Nate-

He felt his leg vibrating. It was like being snapped out of a daze. Mihael immediately drew back, dropping his hands and reaching into his pocket to pull out his cellphone. He glanced at the screen. It was a missed call from Takada.

Right. That's the important thing he'd been forgetting.

Nate's eyes were open now, and he was looking at Mihael with a mix of confusion, and somewhere, Mihael noted guiltily, hurt.

"I'm sorry," Mihael said, waving his phone in the air for emphasis. "It's Kiyomi. I have to, you know, probably call her back."

Nate nodded, his face suddenly a blank mask. Mihael just felt worse about the entire situation. "You should go to her. She might be waiting."

Mihael nodded, standing up. He made his way over to the door and paused. He looked at Nate, but Nate was looking everywhere but at him. Mihael knew he should say something, maybe even apologize, but words failed him. He turned back around and opened the door.

"Mihael?"

Mihael turned to look at Nate, raising his brows in question.

"Please remember you have a meeting with Halle Lidner next week. Make sure you adequately practice."

Mihael nodded once and exited the house, shutting the door behind him. So much for him not wanting to make things uncomfortable.

* * *

The night before his meeting with Halle Lidner, Mihael was in his room, frantically rehearsing on his guitar. He needed everything to be perfect, and if that meant he'd have to stay up all night practicing, then so be it. Mihael wasn't someone who half-assed something. For him, it was either all or nothing. He'd even turned his phone off so as to avoid any sort of distractions. He'd warned Takada of it beforehand, and she'd understood his reasoning. There was no room for misunderstandings there. Before he'd turned his phone off, he'd even managed to send Nate a message, informing him. Nate hadn't been pleased, but he'd agreed.

Things were still slightly awkward between them ever since their last encounter, and how close they'd come to doing what they very obviously shouldn't have been doing. Mihael knew Nate had wanted it just as much as he himself did, but he also knew that there was no way either of them could act on it. Mihael had a girlfriend and Nate...well Nate just wouldn't do it.

Mihael let out a frustrated growl, everything starting to overwhelm him. He couldn't focus. His thoughts were all over the place. What if he fucked up tomorrow? Would Nate hate him for it? Or would Nate understand, that Mihael wasn't perfect, that all Mihael could ever do was try his best and see where that got him? Would Nate give up on him if he failed? Or would he double his efforts? Would he-

"Mello!" Matt burst into the room, a lopsided smile on his face.

Mihael dropped his guitar in surprise. "Jesus, Matt!"

"Jeevas," Matt corrected, sitting down on Mihael's bed. "It's Jeevas, not Jesus."

Mihael narrowed his eyes. "Why the fuck are you drunk during the middle of the week?"

"I'm not drunk," Matt corrected again. "Just tipsy."

"Point being," Mihael said impatiently, "That you're drinking during the middle of the week. Why?"

Matt, who'd been grinning, suddenly frowned. "Linda and I had a fight. I was upset, so I needed a few drinks."

Mihael's eyes widened in surprise. "You two had a fight? What for?"

Matt waved his hand dismissively, reaching forward to grab Mihael's guitar instead. Mihael immediately slapped his hand away, moving his guitar away from Matt. Matt pouted, but said nothing. Mihael raised his brows questioningly and Matt finally relented. "It was a dumb fight. I know we're going to make-up by tomorrow. It's nothing."

"If it was nothing," Mihael pressed, "Why did you find the need to drink?"

Matt sighed, raising his hands in surrender. "You got me, you fucking detective." Mihael smirked at that, raising his brow, waiting for Matt to explain himself. Matt sighed yet again. "She thinks I focus too much on my Youtube and barely acknowledge her, unless it's during group outings. Which, to be clear, is really only just your gigs."

Mihael considered this. "That doesn't sound like something Linda would be upset over." Mihael then pointed accusingly at Matt. "You're lying to me! There was no fight, and you just went and got drunk because you felt like it, didn't you?"

Matt grinned sheepishly. "You should reconsider being a musician. I think you're better suited as a detective."

Mihael frowned, lifting his guitar once more. "Asshole, you're wasting my time here. I need to practice."

"You've been at it since forever," Matt pointed out, making himself further comfortable on Mihael's bed. "You need to relax."

"It's an important meeting," Mihael snapped, strumming his guitar. A soft, acoustic music filled the room. "I need to be at my A game tomorrow. And that's not going to happen if I slack off."

"And that's also not going to happen if you continue being so tense," Matt said calmly. "You need to calm your nerves. Don't deny it, Mello. I know you're nervous, and it's completely normal to be so. You know what? Wait right here!" And with that, Matt jumped off the bed and was out of the room in a second.

Mihael stared after him in confusion, stopping the idle guitar strumming. It was strange that Matt should point out to Mihael that he was nervous, as if Mihael hadn't been aware of it, with the way his stomach kept twisting itself into tight knots.

Matt finally returned, sitting back down on Mihael's bed. He set a bottle of clear liquid and two shot glasses down in front of him. Mihael stared at it. "What's this?" He asked.

Matt lifted the bottle of Tequila, twisting open the cap. "This will help you relax." Matt explained, when Mihael continued staring, dumbfounded, at him. Matt poured himself and Mihael a shot each. "I'm not asking you to get drunk. I'm just asking you to take one shot. The alcohol will help lower your inhibitions and will stop you from thinking too much. You need that."

Mihael looked at the shot glass. Matt was lifting his and bringing it to his lips, glancing meaningfully at Mihael. "Well?" He prompted.

Mihael sighed, grabbing the glass. "I'd have preferred sex as a way to relax." He muttered, downing the liquid in one go.

Matt did the same and immediately made a face. Mihael wasn't sure if that was in response to taking the shot or Mihael's statement. "Sorry bud, can't offer you that. You gotta call your girlfriend for that."

Mihael snorted, enjoying the heat that rolled through his body. He could feel himself easing up, just a little. Lifting up the bottle, he poured himself another shot. Matt shot him a questioning glance. Mihael shrugged, gulping down the second shot. "Second time's a charm." He explained.

Matt furrowed his brows. "Isn't that supposed to be 'third time's a charm'?"

"You're right," Mihael grinned, pouring himself a third shot. He quickly downed it and then set his empty glass down. "Third time's a charm."

Matt shook his head, laughing. "Go back to rehearsing. I think you've relaxed enough now."

Mihael nodded and did just that.

* * *

Mihael woke to a relentless throbbing in his head. His eyes felt heavy and his mouth tasted bitter from the after-taste of the alcohol he'd consumed last night. The smart thing would've been for him to stop at three shots. And he had, for a while. He'd only focused on rehearsing his music, and Matt had stayed awake for a couple of hours in order to keep him company. But then Matt had fallen asleep, and Mihael was once again left to himself, and more accurately, his intrusive thoughts. He felt his nerves kicking in once more. His momentary state of relaxation had been shattered and the bottle of Tequila was right there, in front of him. Against better judgment, and in a desperate attempt to calm himself, Mihael had downed a few more shots of the alcohol, eventually passing out on his bed.

The realization that today was his meeting struck him like lightning, and he nearly jolted out of bed, not caring about his throbbing headache.

He checked his cellphone for the time. 10 AM. Fuck it all, he was already _half an hour late_ for his meeting. He didn't bother with a shower, and he didn't exactly bother with his clothes, either. He'd fallen asleep in his jeans and tshirt last night, and he decided he'd just let that stay on, instead reaching for his perfume and spraying it generously on himself. Mihael knew he didn't exactly smell bad, but he didn't want to take chances. Stuffing his guitar into its cover and slinging it across his back and shoving two mint pellets into his mouth, Mihael ran out of his room and out the apartment, slamming the door shut behind him.

-x-

By the time Mihael had managed to evade the last stretch of traffic and make it to the studio, he was already an hour and a half late. He debated whether or not he wanted to go inside. Would it make sense for him to just call Halle and tell her he wouldn't be able to make it and that he'd like to postpone the meeting to a later day? Maybe Mihael could call Nate and tell him to inform Halle, make up a story about being sick.

No, he couldn't do that. Nate had trusted Mihael to show up for the meeting, sincerely apologizing for being unable to accompany Mihael but trusting Mihael enough to know that he'd be able to handle this on his own. Nate had vouched for Mihael, that Mihael was trustworthy and reliable and had, in fact, changed. If Mihael just walked away now, he'd never forgive himself.

Excuses were for losers. Winners walked right in and made things work out for them. Mihael wasn't a loser. Taking a deep breath, he walked right in. He ignored the thudding in his heart and walked up to the receptionist. "Hey, is Miss Lidner in?" He asked.

"Yes, but-" Mihael didn't bother letting her finish and walked right ahead. He knew where Halle's door was. He'd knock, wait for her to let him in and then he'd explain himself. Unfortunately, Mihael only got as far as a few steps before the receptionist caught up to him, grabbing hold of his arm. Mihael glared at her and she let go of him at once. She stood her ground, however. "I'm sorry," she began, cringing at Mihael's obvious displeasure, "But you can't just walk in."

"I have an appointment," Mihael said, crossing his arms across his chest. "I _ca_ n walk right in."

The receptionist frowned. "What time was your appointment?"

Mihael hesitated for the briefest of seconds. He pulled his cellphone out and stared at the screen. 11-15 AM. "11 AM," he lied.

The receptionist furrowed her brows, her frown deepening. "That can't be right. The 11 AM slot was given to someone else."

"That's not my problem," Mihael snapped. "I had an appointment, and I will damn well make sure I get this meeting." He began walking once more, hoping against hope that the receptionist would leave him alone. She did. Mihael saw her walk over to her desk, her frown still intact as she flipped through her register. He increased his pace, hoping to make it to Halle's room before the receptionist realized he'd been lying.

Once Mihael was at Halle's door, he paused. He knocked lightly and waited. He let a few seconds pass before knocking again. He then heard footsteps shuffle towards the door. Mihael braced himself. The door opened and Halle stood in the doorway, eyes narrowing at Mihael. "Why are you here?" She asked him.

"I had an appointment, remember?"

Halle looked down at her watch. "Yes, at 9-30 AM. You're late."

"Look, I got stuck in a lot of traffic and-"

"Mihael," Halle cut in, "I don't care. You were given a time, you failed to make it. Please leave. I'm busy with someone."

"Look, you can't just expect me to leave without having this meeting," Mihael insisted, unceremoniously pushing past Halle and walking into the room. He was greeted with an awkward smile from a man sitting on the couch, apparently in the midst of playing his guitar. "This guy can wait. I'll not take long."

Halle grabbed Mihael's arm and nearly dragged him out of the room. "Don't make me repeat myself," she hissed, "Just because you're Nate's client doesn't mean I like you enough to put up with this shit. You failed to show up on time, and frankly, that speaks vastly of your lack of professionalism."

"I told you, I was stuck in traffic! It's hardly my fault, and what do I tell Nate? Listen, please just give me ten minutes. I'll make it quick." Mihael pressed, looking over Halle's shoulder, at the man on the couch. "Hey, buddy, you don't mind if I steal just ten minutes off your time, do you?"

"Mihael, _leave._ " Halle snapped. "If you're worried about telling Nate, don't worry. I'll do it for you."

Mihael closed his eyes momentarily. "Maybe we can just schedule the meeting for a different day?"

"No. I gave you a chance, you screwed up. That's that." With that, Halle turned around and shut the door in Mihael's face.

Mihael sighed dejectedly, walking back the way he'd come. What was he going to tell Nate? That he'd gotten drunk last night and passed out on his bed and then woken up late with a shitty hangover? No, he couldn't do that. Nate would be furious and rightfully so. But then again, he couldn't have Halle telling Nate that his client had failed to show up. Nate would probably want to hear that from Mihael.

Making his mind up, Mihael pulled his cellphone out and called Nate. He waited patiently as the phone rang. Finally, Nate answered. "Nate." Mihael said uncertainly.

"Why were you late, Mihael?"

Mihael winced. So Halle _had_ beaten him to it. "It was the traffic."

"No, it wasn't." He sounded pissed. Mihael couldn't blame him.

"I hoped she wouldn't tell you," Mihael sighed. "I'm sorry, Nate. I didn't mean to let you down."

"You did, though." Nate pointed out. "You know what Halle told me, Mihael?" Mihael said nothing. "She told me she can't believe I'd stand up for someone like you. She can't believe I agreed to take you on as a client. She said she's disappointed in me, that she expected me of all people to have clients who understand the value of professionalism. She told me that next time she's going to have to think twice before she agrees to meet with one of my clients."

Mihael remained perfectly silent. Nate wasn't yelling, he hadn't even raised his voice an octave, and yet Mihael could feel the anger in his words. Either Mihael had gotten really good at reading Nate, or Nate had just lost his ability to control his emotions. "I'm sorry," He said, because there was nothing else to say. There were no excuses.

"Why were you late, Mihael?" Nate repeated.

If there was one person who didn't deserve to be lied to, it was Nate. And so Mihael said, "I woke up late because I'd been drinking the previous night and -"

"You were drinking the night before you had an important meeting?" Nate interrupted.

"It's not what you think, Nate. Yes, I was drinking but it was because-"

"It's not important," Nate cut him off. "I'll call you later, Mihael. I have work to do. I hope you won't be drinking before our meeting with Robert and his manager next week. It's at 11 AM." And with that, Nate hung up on Mihael, leaving him to stare at the phone screen in dismay. Nate hadn't even given Mihael a chance to explain himself. That was hardly fair. He called Nate again. The phone rang, and Mihael waited patiently. The phone continued ringing but there was no response. Eventually, the call went to Nate's voicemail.

"Seriously, Nate?" Mihael muttered, hanging up. He wasn't about to explain himself to Nate's voice mail. Yes, he was at fault. Yes, he should've had better sense, but that did not give Nate the right to be pissed at him, especially not when he didn't know the why of it.

Upset and somewhat pissed himself, Mihael called Takada. She answered on the second ring. "Kiyomi, are you free right now?"

* * *

Mihael spent the following week with Takada. He showed up at her house whenever she was free. They'd talk, drink and they'd have sex. That was what his relationship boiled down to. His reasoning was simple. If he distracted himself by spending time with her, he'd forget about the fact that Nate hadn't answered any of his calls or texts. Mihael had a sneaking suspicion that Nate had blocked him. But that obviously couldn't be right. Nate was still Mihael's agent. That hadn't changed. He'd still be seeing Nate by the end of this week, and they'd be going to meet Robert Fischer.

Still, that didn't mean that Mihael had to be okay with this sudden lack of communication. Even when he was with Takada, he couldn't help but think of Nate. He knew he shouldn't be, especially not when Takada was kissing him and sliding her hand underneath his shirt, gently caressing him and telling him how glad she was to be dating him and that she hopes this could go somewhere.

"Yeah, me too," Mihael said automatically, his attention clearly elsewhere. They were presently in his apartment, more specifically on the living room couch. Takada had spent the night because Mihael had his meeting with Robert the following morning, and he'd needed the physical comfort. Matt had obligingly spent the night at Linda's, in order to give Mihael and Takada their privacy.

And now it was morning, and Mihael waited patiently, dressed and everything, for Nate to arrive. This had been decided almost two weeks ago, that Nate would come pick Mihael up and they'd drive to the meeting together. That was what _had_ been decided, anyway. Mihael wasn't sure if Nate would still come pick him up. For all he knew, Nate would simply expect Mihael to show up at the venue and meet him there directly.

Sighing, Mihael leaned forward to grab his phone off the coffee table, accidentally knocking aside Takada's hand. Still holding on to his phone, Mihael looked at her apologetically. "Sorry, I just needed to check if -"

"Nate's texted or called?" Takada finished for him, annoyed.

"Yeah, how'd you…?" Mihael trailed off, realizing that was a stupid question. Of course she'd know. It was all Mihael had talked to her about the past week. "Nevermind, don't answer that."

"No, let me answer it anyway," Takada snapped. "Maybe it's because that's _all_ you've been doing this past week. You think I haven't noticed the way you obsessively keep checking your phone? Honestly, Mihael, why does it matter so much? He's just your agent. It's not abnormal for agents to disappear like that."

"You don't understand! He was really pissed off the last time we talked and he didn't even let me explain!" Mihael argued, his temper flaring. "He's not just my agent, Kiyomi! He's my...he's my friend."

"And I'm your _girlfriend_ ," Takada pointed out.

"What's that got to do with anything?"

Takada closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. Opening her eyes, she said, "Mihael, do you really want to be with me?"

Mihael opened his mouth to answer, that yes, of course he wanted to be with her, but try as he might, he couldn't get the words out. Takada's face went blank, realization dawning on her. She looked away, awkwardly smoothing her hair out. "Kiyomi…" Mihael tried. She turned to look at him, eyebrows arched. "I, uh, I'm sorry."

Takada shook her head, smiling. Mihael knew it wasn't genuine. She was just trying really hard not to seem affected. Mihael admired her strength. If it was him in her place, he wouldn't have been able to manage it. "I should've seen it coming, I guess." She said, laughing uncomfortably.

"No, that's-" Mihael was cut off by a knock on his door. He jumped up at once, his heart suddenly pounding.

Takada smiled up at him. "Let's save this breakup for until after you finish your meeting. Don't keep Nate waiting. I don't want to give him any more reason to hate me."

"I don't think he hates you," Mihael laughed, walking towards the door. "He's just…"

"Jealous?" Takada offered.

Mihael flushed, refusing to answer. He still couldn't believe the sudden turn of events. One moment, he was kissing Takada and they were still together, and the next, they were breaking up. Mihael finally had the chance to go for what he wanted, and what he wanted was Nate. This was it. He was going to do this. He was really going to do this.

He opened the door and his smile instantly dropped.

Standing in front of him was a woman he didn't recognize. She was tall, with dark hair. She also wore a leather jacket, despite the heat, and if Mihael hadn't been so confused, he'd have complimented her on it.

"Mihael Keehl?" The woman spoke, smiling politely. Mihael nodded dumbly. "I'm Naomi Misora, from LTA. Uh, I'm not sure if you've been informed, but I'm going to be your agent from now on."

* * *

 **A/N:So, once again, I'm sorry for the super long chapter. Also, we're getting close to the end here, folks. Feedback is appreciated :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: so here we are, with part two of the last chapter, which means this is still Mihael's pov. It was kind of important to get this out there, so yeah. School's been kicking my ass so I'm sorry for the delayed updates, but I try my best.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14:** **Kind of Confrontation**

"What?" Mihael asked dumbly, staring at Naomi. He probably hadn't heard that right. Did she honestly just say she was his-

"I'm your new agent," Naomi repeated, eyebrows furrowing. "Is something wrong?"

Mihael shook his head, refusing to process Naomi's words. "Where's Nate?"

"Look," Naomi said impatiently, looking down at the watch on her hand. "We're getting late for our meeting."

"Nate was the one who scheduled this meeting for us," Mihael said stubbornly, not budging from his spot. "He's supposed to be the one accompanying me for this meeting."

"And I told you," Naomi sighed, "I'm your agent now."

"But-"

"Mihael," Takada's voice cut in from behind, where she still sat on the couch. Mihael had almost forgotten of her presence. Now he turned around, staring at her. Takada gave him a small smile. "You don't want to miss your meeting. How about you argue with her after you've finished your meeting?"

Mihael considered her words. He knew he was acting stupid, but he couldn't exactly help himself. How could he just accept the fact that Nate had, without any warning whatsoever, abandoned him? Mihael looked at Naomi. Okay, maybe he hadn't abandoned Mihael in the professional sense, because he'd made sure there was a replacement for him. But that didn't matter to Mihael. What mattered to Mihael was that Nate had abandoned _him_ , that he'd not even thought twice about how Mihael would feel about this. A part of Mihael felt terribly betrayed, as though Mihael were that easily replaceable in someone's life. _You're overreacting,_ Mihael tried to tell himself. _Maybe he's just busy with a lot of work, and he couldn't make it today. He'll be back soon enough._

But that still didn't explain Naomi's words. The way she'd phrased them made them sound like some kind of permanent arrangement. New agent, she'd said. Mihael _didn't_ want a new agent. Maybe months ago, such a turn in events would've been desirable. As it stood now, Mihael only felt a terrible pain in his chest, like someone had stabbed him with a dagger and kept twisting it about sadistically. That someone could've very well been Nate.

"Mihael?" Naomi's voice sounded distant to Mihael.

Nate had abandoned him. He'd abandoned him for as little as Mihael showing up late for one meeting. That's all it had taken for Nate to give up on him. Some part of Mihael knew that if Nate had felt the same way about Mihael as Mihael did about him, he wouldn't have acted the way he had.

Nate had abandoned him.

Mihael closed his eyes, the initial shock and consequent hurt slowly wearing off, leaving in its place a dull aching in his chest and a sudden flare of anger.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him. "Mihael," a voice accompanied the hand, soft and concerned. Mihael opened his eyes. Naomi's face was scrunched up in confusion. "Do you feel okay?"

Mihael nodded slowly. "Yeah," he said, and the smallness of his voice surprised even him. "I'm okay."

"We really should get going," Naomi said, withdrawing her hand from Mihael's shoulder. "We don't want to keep them waiting."

"Yeah," Mihael agreed, looking over his shoulder at Takada. "Do you need us to give you a ride?"

Takada stood up from the couch, walking towards them. "Nah, I'll just get a cab." Mihael nodded at her. Takada looked at him a moment longer, smiling sadly. She brought her hand up to cup Mihael's face, caressing his cheek with her thumb. "I'm going to miss you." She said softly. Leaning up, she gently pressed her lips to his. Without really thinking about it, Mihael kissed her back. It was a short kiss, its intent clear to Mihael when Takada pulled away, whispered a quick 'goodbye' and then she was out the door. Mihael stared after her a moment longer, guilt clawing its way over to replace the hurt he felt from a moment ago.

"Er," Naomi began uncomfortably, "we really need to go, Mihael."

"Right," Mihael said, coming back to his senses. "Let's go." He stepped aside to let Naomi pass, following after her a moment later. He paused outside momentarily, staring at Naomi. She raised her eyebrows in question. Mihael quickly shook his head. "I like your jacket."

Naomi looked at him in surprise. "Oh," she said, smiling. "Thank you."

-x-

Robert's manager was, understandably, confused when Naomi showed up with Mihael, introducing herself as his agent. Mihael still wasn't used to her saying that, and each time she did, Mihael felt his stomach twist unpleasantly. It just made the situation that much more real.

"I was told that his agent," the manager pointed at Mihael, "was Nate River."

Mihael could see that Naomi was starting to lose her patience, with the way her eye seemed to have twitched. Mihael couldn't honestly blame her. He'd refused to acknowledge her as his agent, and now this lady was doing the same. None of this was Naomi's fault. She was just trying to do her job.

 _If it's anyone's fault, it's Nate's,_ Mihael thought bitterly.

"Yes, he was, but I've now been assigned as Mihael's agent. Can we please get on with the meeting, Miss…?" Naomi trailed off, tilting her head in question.

"Teressa," the woman supplied, frowning slightly. "Look, the only reason Robert had pushed for this meeting was because he personally knew Nate, and this is a favor he's doing for Nate and his client. If you're not Nate, I'm afraid…"

"Nate sent me in his place," Naomi persisted, "I work at the same agency as him. We know each other personally. I'm his superior."

Teressa blinked in confusion, directing her gaze at Mihael. "Mr. Keehl, did you know about this?" She asked.

Mihael, who'd been looking around the office curiously, nearly jumped at the question. He looked at Teressa and for a brief moment considered lying. Ultimately, he decided honesty was the way to go. "No, I did not. But then again, Nate doesn't exactly tell me a lot of things." Yeah, he was definitely being honest.

Teressa nodded and brought her attention back to Naomi. She was about to say something when Naomi cut her off.

"Would it help if I called Nate?" Naomi offered, pulling a phone out of her pocket.

Mihael's eyes widened at that, his heart suddenly racing in anticipation. Was she going to call Nate and ask him to come here? Would Nate actually show up? If he did, how was Mihael supposed to react to that? Would it make sense to confront Nate directly or wait to see if he offered any explanations of his own? Would Nate even acknowledge Mihael's existence? The last thought made Mihael almost laugh bitterly, because there was a high chance that Nate would, in fact, completely ignore Mihael's presence.

Well, Mihael would just have to confront him directly then. He wasn't about to give Nate an easy way out of this.

"Hello, Nate?" Naomi's voice interrupted Mihael's thoughts and Mihael instantly looked at Naomi, who presently had her phone clutched to her ear. He couldn't hear the other end of the conversation, but he waited impatiently to hear Naomi's side of it. "You forgot to inform Robert's manager about your little arrangement." Naomi continued and there was a tinge of indignation in her tone.

Mihael leaned forward slightly, waiting for Naomi to say the words he desperately wanted her to say: _You'll have to come here, Nate._

But that wasn't what Naomi said. In fact, the next words out of her mouth weren't even directed at Nate. "Would it be okay if he talks to you?" She asked Teressa, offering her the phone.

Teressa nodded, taking the phone from Naomi. "This is Teressa, Robert's manager." Mihael and Naomi both stared at her expectantly while she nodded along to whatever it was Nate was telling her. Finally, she said, "Alright, that works." And then she handed the phone over to Naomi.

"Well?" Naomi prodded, looking down at her screen.

"I'm sorry for keeping you two waiting," Teressa told them. "Let's begin our meeting."

Naomi smiled and took a seat opposite Teressa's desk, gesturing for Mihael to do the same, but Mihael did not move. He remained standing, his eyebrows creasing together. "What did Nate say?" This was directed at Teressa.

Teressa shrugged nonchalantly, taking her seat. "Just that he's sorry for not informing me of the change in plans, is all."

Mihael blinked in surprise. "And that convinced you?"

Teressa frowned at Mihael. "Why wouldn't it? Look, as a professional in this business, it is my duty to cross verify information." She directed her gaze at Naomi and added, almost conspiratorially, "People lie a lot in this business, as you're aware."

Naomi nodded in understanding. "I get it. I'd have done the same."

Mihael still wasn't convinced. "I thought you'd want Nate to be present, too."

Teressa shook her head, laughing as she did. "He's probably busy with work. I didn't want to trouble him. When it comes to someone like him, a phone confirmation is enough."

"Right," Mihael muttered, finally taking his seat beside Naomi. He looked straight at Teressa, trying to school his features into a neutral expression. Like hell he'd let anyone see his disappointment. Why was he disappointed anyway? Had he honestly expected Nate to show up, when Nate was doing absolutely everything in his power to avoid seeing Mihael? Knowing Nate, he probably wanted to avoid any direct confrontations with Mihael. _Fucking coward,_ Mihael couldn't help but think. Shaking his head, Mihael brought himself out of his thoughts. He smiled at the women. "I'm ready."

-x-

Mihael remained perfectly silent on the walk back to Naomi's car. It wasn't like Naomi minded, busy as she was typing into her phone. Mihael occasionally shot her curious glances, but still said nothing. It wasn't like he had much to say to her anyway. He didn't exactly _know_ her.

The meeting had gone reasonably well, and Naomi had been extremely professional while conversing with Teressa and him. When Mihael asked, what he thought were particularly stupid questions, she didn't mock him, like Nate probably would've. Instead, she explained things to him with utmost patience. Mihael couldn't help but think, in that moment, that he'd have been glad to have her be his agent when he'd just started out. He would have, if he hadn't already grown so fond of Nate. Nate could be a handful at times, and yes, he had been mean to Mihael in the past, but that was basically it. It was all _in the past._ Mihael had, in the past few months, gotten used to the way Nate talked and behaved. It didn't matter that Naomi was Nate's superior and much more experienced than him. Mihael just wanted Nate.

L himself could've offered to replace Nate and Mihael would _still_ want Nate.

That was the extent to which he'd fallen and it was that realization that finally brought Mihael back to his senses. Since when did he passively wait around for things to sort themselves out? He was someone who always took action, jumped into a problem head first. So what if Nate didn't show up? There was no rule that stated Mihael couldn't go to him, was there? With new found conviction, Mihael paused in his step and turned to look at Naomi, fully prepared to speak, when he noticed she wasn't walking by his side anymore. She'd lingered behind and was presently having a hushed conversation with someone on her phone, back facing Mihael.

Curiosity peaked, Mihael took a few steps towards her, straining to hear. He knew he shouldn't but something told Mihael that he needed to listen to this conversation.

"Yes, the meeting was _fine,_ " Naomi was saying, foot tapping on the concrete. She paused a moment, waiting for the other person to finish what they were saying. When she spoke next, she sounded very annoyed. "I'm your _superior,_ I'm _not_ obligated to give you every small detail. I told you the meeting was fine and it's all been worked out."

Mihael felt his heart lurch. There was only one person she had to be talking to. It had to be.

"You're no longer his agent," Naomi snapped and her tone made Mihael take an abrupt step back. "If you were so concerned about his career, you shouldn't have asked me to replace you as his agent." Mihael held his breath. He needed to see how this would play out. There was a long stretch of silence, in which Mihael shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

"I'm sorry," Naomi finally spoke again and Mihael was surprised by the sudden softness in her voice. There was no trace of the anger she'd felt just moments ago. "That was out of line. I'm really sorry. Listen, I need his files from you anyway, so I'll just head over to the office right now. Yes, _yes,_ I'll drop him off before I do that - yes, that's what I meant! I'll fill you in on everything when I get there, okay? I should get going now." With that, Naomi finally hung up. She didn't turn around immediately, however. She spent another long minute just staring down at her phone and Mihael knew he should take this opportunity to go back to where he'd been standing, facing away from her. He didn't want to look like he'd been eavesdropping.

For some reason though, Mihael remained rooted in spot, still processing the conversation. So when Naomi finally did turn around, he remained standing there, blinking up at her awkwardly. "Uh," Naomi began carefully, "What are you doing here?"

"I, uh," Mihael tried, "I wanted to know why we'd stopped walking." He wasn't sure how convincing he sounded.

Naomi studied his face for a moment, searching for any indication that he'd heard her phone conversation. To his credit, Mihael kept his face as neutral as possible. He tried not to betray the way his heart was beating a mile a minute, or the sudden hope he'd felt surging within him when he'd found out that Nate still cared about him and that he had a chance of turning this all around.

"Right," Naomi finally relented, stuffing her phone into her pocket. "Let's go."

"That was Nate, wasn't it?" Mihael blurted out just as Naomi started walking towards her car. She came to an abrupt halt, looking at Mihael in surprise. "He wanted to know how my meeting went, didn't he?"

Instead of snapping at him for eavesdropping like Mihael had expected, Naomi simply sighed in defeat. "You heard everything, huh?"

"Listen," Mihael began urgently, walking over to Naomi. "Let me accompany you to the office. You're going to see him, right? I just need to talk to him. Please!" For good measure, Mihael held on to her arm.

Naomi shook her head, laughing. "I'm not going to say no, Mihael. You can let go."

Mihael dropped his hand, grinning at her. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," Naomi said, walking once more. "You two clearly have some issues you need to sort out. It's obvious he still wants to be your agent, he just isn't admitting to it. I'm not sure what it is that happened, but if talking to him helps, be my guest."

"I could probably take a guess," Mihael muttered, falling into step beside Naomi. She looked at him with arched brows, silently asking him to elaborate. Mihael looked away. "Nothing."

-x-

It felt like ages since Mihael had last visited LTA.

The lobby was quiet as Naomi walked through it, towards the elevators, Mihael following in tow. Mihael looked around the place, noting that the receptionist seated at the front desk was different than the one he'd encountered all those months ago.

"Where's the other receptionist?" Mihael asked curiously.

Naomi followed his gaze and shrugged. "Maybe she's off work or something."

They came to a halt in front of the elevators, patiently waiting for one of them to arrive. Mihael could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He crossed his fingers, taking deep breaths. There was no point in being nervous now. It was just Nate. He could handle Nate, he'd been handling Nate for months now. Just because he'd now acknowledged his feelings for Nate didn't mean things were suddenly going to be different. Nate was still the asshole Mihael needed to take care of.

When the elevator arrived, Mihael stepped in silently after Naomi, tapping his foot nervously. "You okay?" Naomi asked him, concern etched on to her face. "You look...anxious."

"I'm fine." Mihael assured her, reluctantly stopping the tapping.

No one said anything for the rest of the elevator ride. Naomi only spoke once they were in the hallway and outside Nate's door. Mihael had been about ready to barge in but Naomi had pulled him back, forcing him to stay where he was. "Let me first go in. I don't want him getting mad at me immediately." She said. Mihael knew she had a point.

He waited outside while Naomi went in. He wasn't sure how long he'd been waiting but the next thing he knew, Naomi had opened the door and was gesturing for him to come in. Mihael's heart thudded painfully in his chest. Gulping, he walked in.

And froze in place. It had only been a little over a week since Mihael had last seen or spoken to Nate, but for some strange reason, it felt like it had been much longer. Nate didn't look any different. He had the same hair, although it was slightly messier than it usually was, the same formal attire with the exception of his tie. Mihael unconsciously took a step closer.

Nate was, quite possibly, staring at him with a similar look of surprise. Or shock. Yeah, definitely shock, if the way his jaw dropped slightly was any indication. "Hey," Mihael said, his voice catching just a bit.

Nate glared accusingly at Naomi, ignoring Mihael's greeting. "What's the meaning of this?"

Naomi frowned. "Don't look at me like that."

Nate didn't stop glaring. "I told you to drop him off before you came here!"

"It wasn't her fault," Mihael cut in, staring intently at Nate. "I insisted on coming."

"Of course you did," Nate muttered indignantly, staring down at his feet. "Why did you want to come here?"

"Because I missed the office," Mihael said, rolling his eyes. Nate's head shot up so suddenly Mihael was sure he'd gotten whiplash. "I came here to talk to you, obviously."

Nate looked away. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Oh yes, there is," Mihael took another step forward. "I need answers, Nate."

Nate shook his head, walking around his desk and taking a seat. "I found another client I was interested in, so I decided to transfer my contract with you to Miss Misora instead. That's all there is to it."

Mihael couldn't believe what he was hearing. He felt hot anger course through him. "You didn't have to ditch me like that!"

Nate looked at Mihael blankly. "It's not ditching if I took the time to make sure you weren't without an agent. I made arrangements, as you're well aware," He gestured at Naomi. "She's actually a much better agent than I am, so it's an upgrade, really."

Mihael's hands clenched into fists at his sides. "That's not the point." He grit out.

"What is the point, then?" Nate asked casually, leaning back in his chair.

Mihael couldn't think straight. His fists tightened, nails digging painfully into his palms. He was about ready to snap at Nate but managed to pull himself together at the last moment. He _wouldn't_ lose his cool. This was Nate pretending nothing was wrong. There was no way he wasn't as affected as Mihael. This was all just a facade. It had to be. Besides, causing a scene in front of Naomi, in Nate's professional workplace no less, would probably work against what Mihael was hoping to accomplish. Something told Mihael that Nate would be more open to having an honest conversation with Mihael in private.

So, that thought in mind, Mihael took a step back. "Sorry for barging in," He said, face devoid of any emotion. He thought he saw Nate's eyes widen in surprise at how easily he was giving up, but it could've been his imagination. He addressed Naomi. "I'll wait outside."

Naomi, who'd been a silent spectator right from the moment Mihael had entered, nodded slowly in acknowledgement. "Okay." She said, shooting a curious glance in Nate's direction. Nate didn't meet her gaze.

With one last glance at Nate, Mihael turned around and walked out of Nate's office, shutting the door gently behind him.

* * *

"Where are we going again?" Mihael asked from the passenger seat, looking at Naomi curiously.

It had been almost a week since his apparent 'confrontation' with Nate and Mihael was still bitter about the whole encounter. He'd not liked the way Nate had been so dismissive towards him and even if he knew it was most likely just a front, it didn't make him feel any better about the situation. And besides, it wasn't like he'd had much free time to sit and mope over things, considering Naomi had been taking him to various meetings almost every day. They weren't all necessarily meetings for gigs at clubs. One of their meetings happened to be with a relatively well-known magazine for a photoshoot. Mihael hadn't seen the point to it, but Naomi had later explained to him that they were doing a story on the city's local, upcoming stars who had the potential to go national, or even global and that it would be to Mihael's advantage to get featured in it. Mihael had been impressed by her thoughtfulness. Naomi had told him not to expect much, however, and to be prepared for a rejection and that it wouldn't be the end of the world if he didn't get this particular gig. Mihael had assured her he'd be fine.

Except, when Naomi later informed him that he didn't get the gig, Mihael had spent the entire day locked up in his room, refusing to even let Matt in, despite the fact that it was his room too.

In retrospect, Mihael could admit, he'd probably overreacted. Now, however, he knew better. He looked at Naomi expectantly, waiting for her to answer.

Naomi shot him a glance. "It's an audition for a T.V show. It's a small role, I think the character's named Cerin. The concept's pretty interesting and it's a supernatural show."

Mihael's eyes widened considerably. "Naomi, I'm not an actor! I'm a musician! I don't want to do T.V!"

"You'd be surprised by how often the two professions tend to overlap," Naomi replied, eyes focused on the road in front of her. "Haven't you heard of actors eventually launching their music albums? The key here is to establish a fanbase, Mihael."

"I'm not an actor," Mihael repeated defiantly, "can't you just book gigs for me at clubs, like Nate used to do? And how did you even get me the audition? Don't you have to send them headshots? Last I checked, I don't have any."

Naomi spared a glance at Mihael then, frowning slightly. "Look, I like Nate. I respect him, and I can see why you would, too. But _I'm_ not Nate, and _I_ do things differently. And I contacted your friend Matt. He said you'd taken a few headshots a couple years ago. I asked him to send those to me."

"Wait, what?" Mihael exclaimed disbelievingly. "I'd taken those as a joke!"

Naomi shrugged. "The producer liked the headshots and you got the audition. You're welcome."

Mihael remained silent, considering. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea. She was right about the professions tending to overlap. If anything, this could work to his advantage, establish a fanbase, like Naomi said. It was only then that Mihael recalled what Naomi had said, about her not being Nate. "I never said you were Nate," he mumbled, looking out the window. "You're actually nice."

At this, Naomi let out a soft laugh. "Nate's nice." She said. There was a moment of silence before Naomi spoke once more. "I know it's not particularly my business, but did something happen between you two?"

Mihael's head snapped to Naomi, eyes widening in surprise. "What do you mean?" Were his feelings that fucking obvious? He sure hoped not.

"It's just," Naomi explained, "Nate's not the kind of guy to just give up on a client, especially not one he's put so much work into. Did you do something to upset him?"

"Why do you assume I did something?" Mihael snapped. "You heard him in the office, didn't you? He just got bored of me. That's all."

Naomi looked at him with a strange expression then, one that Mihael tried his best to decipher. However, before he could put any more thought into it, Naomi looked away, eyes focused on the road once more. Mihael got the impression that their short conversation was over and so he looked out the window once more, replaying Naomi's words in his head.

Did Nate really give up on him because of one fuck-up? If that were the case, maybe all Mihael needed to do was apologize. But something told Mihael it wasn't going to be as simple as that. At first glance, it almost felt like Nate was overreacting, but the more Mihael thought about it, the more he realized that he probably wasn't. Nate had taken a stand for Mihael. He'd agreed to take full responsibility should Mihael screw up. He'd put his reputation on the line just for Mihael. What had Halle told Nate? That she was disappointed in him, _Nate_ , and _not_ Mihael, because she'd expected better from _Nate._ In his frustration, Mihael hadn't thought about how Nate had ended up taking the entire blame for Mihael's screw up and quite possibly messed up his relationship with an important person in the industry.

But to go so far as to dump Mihael entirely and not respond to any of his calls and messages? Yeah, that was still a dick move.

Still, Mihael couldn't help but think that a simple apology was probably not going to fix anything. If he needed to fix the situation, he'd have to go to the source of it and start there.

Which meant that Mihael would have to try and get Halle Lidner to speak with him one more time. _Yeah right,_ he thought bitterly. That was easier said than done.

"We're here," Naomi announced and it was only then that Mihael realized the car had stopped moving. He looked at the building to his side. "I have some other work I need to take care of, so I'll call you later to find out how the audition went, okay?" She then pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it out to Mihael. Mihael looked at her in question. "It's the scene you'll be doing. I know it's short notice, but it's a small scene and I'm sure you'll get some time to rehearse before you go in." Mihael nodded silently, taking the script from her. Naomi then unlocked his door and Mihael slowly opened it, making his way out of the car. Before he could turn around and thank Naomi for dropping him, she'd already driven off.

Briefly, Mihael thought about how Nate would have waited for him to be done with his audition.

 _She's not Nate,_ Mihael had to remind himself. He entered the building almost hesitantly, stopping at the receptionist's desk to ask for directions to the audition room. The receptionist had asked for a name, and once convinced that Mihael's name was, in fact, on the list, gave him a visitor's pass. He then gave Mihael directions to the audition room. Mihael thanked him and followed the directions, hand clutching the script tightly.

When Mihael reached the audition room, he was surprised to see a fair number of people sitting in chairs. Some were nervously rehearsing their lines, while others were either busy with their cellphones or were conversing with the person sitting beside them. Mihael took a seat beside a brunette girl. She was one of the people nervously rehearsing her lines. Mihael realized he should probably do the same, and without another glance to her, he began reading through the script, trying to memorize his lines.

Ten minutes passed before Mihael heard the girl beside him speak. "Uh, are you Mihael?"

Mihael almost jumped in his seat. He turned to look at her, completely ready to ask how she knew him when he paused. "Sayu Yagami?" He asked uncertainly.

Sayu laughed. "You don't have to refer to me by my full name."

"Right," Said Mihael. He glanced down at the script in her hand. "I didn't know you acted."

"Right back at you," Sayu said, smiling. She looked down at her script, shrugging. "I've done commercials before. Light thought it'd be a good idea to branch out, I guess."

"Whatever pays the bills, right?" Mihael joked.

Sayu looked at him curiously. "I'm surprised Nate got you an audition for a T.V show, though. It's not like him."

At the mention of Nate's name, Mihael stiffened. Sayu didn't know about his present situation. As far as she was concerned, Nate was still his agent. "Maybe, but he's no longer my agent."

Sayu's eyes widened in surprise, shifting in her chair to face Mihael fully. "What do you mean he's no longer your agent?"

"Exactly that," Mihael answered shortly, refusing to meet Sayu's gaze. "Naomi Misora is my agent now. And she's pretty cool."

"But... _how?_ " Sayu wasn't ready to drop the subject. "I thought Nate liked you!"

Mihael snorted. "He likes me about as much as he likes anyone else."

"No, I meant…" Sayu trailed off. "I just didn't think he'd let you go. He seemed rather fond of you, from what I heard from my brother anyway."

Something occurred to Mihael then. He'd always been curious about Sayu and Nate's past relationship. Nate had claimed she used to be his client as well as his friend, but the story didn't match up to the amount of bitterness he felt towards her. Mihael had tried to coax it out of Nate, but Nate hadn't budged. Maybe Sayu would be more willing to speak. "You used to be Nate's client, right?" He asked.

Sayu nodded easily. "It was years ago, though."

"Why was he so mean to you the day you met us at the restaurant, then?"

Sayu bit her lip, hesitating. "You could ask him," she said carefully. "I'm not sure he'd appreciate me telling it to you."

"I've not spoken to him in weeks," Mihael answered bitterly, "He's been ignoring my texts and calls."

Sayu looked like she wanted to say something in response but just then someone called out to her, telling her to go in next. With an apologetic smile, Sayu got up from her seat and walked in, leaving Mihael behind to ponder over their conversation.

-x-

When Mihael got back home later that day, the first thing he did was call Naomi and inform her about his audition. As far as he was concerned, he'd done okay in his audition. For someone with absolutely no prior acting experience, that is. It still felt odd, having to call her, when his first instinct was to call Nate. It had been two weeks and he'd yet to get over the habit.

The next thing Mihael did was go into his room, secretly glad that Matt wasn't around, which meant that he had the room to himself to do what he had to. He hadn't forgotten about his resolve to make things right with Halle Lidner, despite the fact that Nate still wasn't on speaking terms with him. It didn't matter to Mihael - okay, it _did_ matter - but that wasn't the point. He needed to make sure that the next time he saw Nate, it would be under better circumstances. He glanced at his phone, dialing Halle's number.

At least, he hoped it would be.

The phone rang a few times before Halle answered. "Hello?" She asked. Mihael had forgotten she didn't have his number. The only reason he had her number was because Nate had given it to him, in case of an emergency.

"Halle Lidner? This is Mihael." Mihael answered tentatively.

Halle was silent for a moment. Then, "Mihael Keehl? Why are you calling me? If you're about to ask me for another chance, I'm sorry but I'm not-"

"No, no," Mihael interrupted quickly before she could go off on an angry rant about how unprofessional he was. "That's not why I called you."

Halle sighed audibly. "Why did you call me then?"

Mihael took a deep breath, preparing himself for the apology he was about to make. "I wanted to apologize for what happened. I acted unprofessionally. I now realize I could've just called you beforehand and informed you I'd be late."

"That's…" Halle hesitated. "That's surprisingly professional of you."

"I'm not done," Mihael spoke again. "That's one reason I called. The other reason I called is to tell you not to be mad at Nate."

"I'm not -"

Mihael cut her off. "You can't pin the blame on him! I know he said he'd take responsibility if I ended up screwing up, but it's not fair! Truth is, he's a great agent and you can't let my mistake ruin your impression of him. Think about all the times he's brought you good business! I know you gave me a chance only because of him, and I'm sorry I let you down. I'm sorry I let him down. But that's the thing. This was _my_ fault, _not_ his."

"I'm not denying the fact that he's a good agent, Mihael," Halle said, laughing slightly. Mihael couldn't for the life of him understand what she found so funny. He was being absolutely serious here. "And yes, he may have been one reason why I gave you a chance. But that wasn't the only reason, you know?"

Mihael didn't quite know what to say to that.

"No matter how good an agent Nate is," Halle continued, "His word alone is not enough to convince me of anything. He'd given me your demo before he'd brought you in for a meeting. If I hadn't liked what I'd heard, I'd have immediately told him not to bother bringing you along at all."

"So what you're saying is…" Mihael trailed off, understanding dawning on him. "I sold myself?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Halle agreed. "The only thing Nate did was convince me that you were a reliable man."

"I see."

"I'm not mad at Nate," Halle said suddenly, "I like Nate. I have no reason to be mad at him. The only reason I told him what I did that day was because I was angry, and you can't exactly blame me for that, can you?"

Mihael shook his head, forgetting for a moment that Halle couldn't actually see him. Quickly, he said, "No, I can't." He took a deep breath then. "Would you...would you be willing to give me another chance?"

The silence that followed made Mihael squirm uncomfortably, heart racing in anticipation. If Halle agreed to give him a second chance, Mihael knew there was no way Nate would still be mad at him. If Halle agreed, Mihael thought there was a good chance he could get Nate back. It all came down to Nate in the end.

"I sincerely hope I don't regret this," Halle finally said, breaking the tense silence. "But, yes. I'm willing to give you another chance."

"Yes!" Mihael exclaimed happily, holding on to his phone tightly. "Thank you so much! I promise you won't regret it!"

"You better not mess this up," Halle warned him. "I'll check my schedule and inform Nate of the details."

"No," Mihael said quickly, "Don't tell him about it. I mean, he's not my agent anymore. You can inform Naomi Misora of the details."

"Right, okay," Halle said dismissively. "I have to get back to work." With that, Halle immediately hung up, not waiting for Mihael to respond. Mihael didn't mind, still staring in awe at the phone screen. He'd done it. He'd actually fucking done it. Halle had agreed to give him another chance, and that meant that Nate would have no choice but to forgive Mihael, too.

Quickly opening his messages, Mihael went through the last conversation he'd had with Nate. It had been nearly three weeks ago. The later messages were embarrassingly one sided, with Mihael constantly trying to get Nate to talk to him but to no avail. Mihael knew it was a long shot, that Nate probably wouldn't even respond to his message, but he had to atleast try. He typed out a short message, hoping against hope that maybe this time, Nate would reply. _'I need to talk to you, Nate. Please, please reply.'_

An hour passed by and Mihael repeatedly checked his phone, hoping there'd be a response. When there was none, he threw his phone on the bed and a moment later, threw himself on it. He closed his eyes, sighing in disappointment.

"I'm going to make you talk to me, damn it," he murmured with new found purpose, fingers idly tracing the outline of his phone. "I promise I will."

* * *

 **A/N: we're actually really close to the end of this fic now. Just two more chapters to go! I'm excited, holy shit! Also, feedback is greatly appreciated! It motivates me to write.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I'm so sorry for delaying this, but I'm at the end of the semester, and that's when things start kicking your ass, so that's the reason for it. In any case, this chapter is really long, so I hope it makes up for the long wait.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Ten Seconds**

' _I need to talk to you, Nate. Please, please reply.'_

Nate's eyes scanned over the message for the tenth time that day, and the urge to respond only increased each time. At one point, he'd come close to typing out a response, but thinking better of it, had discarded it. This had been the longest Nate had gone without talking to Mihael, and he intended to keep it so. He couldn't give in to temptation, not now.

Nate was aware that Mihael assumed the reason he was avoiding him was because of his screw up with Halle Lidner. That may have had something to do with it, sure, but it wasn't the only reason Nate was going to all these lengths to avoid any sort of interaction with Mihael. The truth was, Mihael's screw up with Halle Lidner had just given Nate the perfect opportunity to do what he'd been considering doing for the past two months.

The truth was, Nate was scared. He was utterly and inexplicably _scared._

He was scared of how Mihael made him _feel_ without even realizing it. He was scared of how his feelings for Mihael, which for all intents and purposes should've been strictly professional, had crossed that line months ago. Even when he told himself he was just doing his job, some part of Nate knew that it was more than that. It had never been his job to constantly respond to Mihael's texts, especially when the line of conversation had nothing to do with getting Mihael work, or Mihael asking for advice on his music. Most of the time, their conversations were just that. Simple back and forth of texts that had nothing to do with work and more to do with getting to know one another. They were the sort of conversations that left Nate feeling _happy,_ if for just a few moments, before the reality came crashing down on him.

This was all temporary. Mihael wasn't his friend, no matter how much he tried to convince him otherwise. In the end, once Nate got Mihael's career going, Mihael would move on to someone bigger and better, someone of L's stature. He wouldn't remain loyal to Nate, he wouldn't want Nate to be his agent forever.

Nate wasn't being self-deprecating. He was merely being practical here. Even though Nate was associated to L, he wasn't L. No one walked into LTA, asking for Nate to be their agent. They wanted _L_ , just like Mihael had wanted L, too. But when they couldn't get L to be their agent, they settled for the next best thing, and that was Nate. So really, Nate was just trying to be self preservatory and spare himself the eventual heartbreak, once Mihael decided to leave him, which he most definitely would.

After all, it's not like it hadn't happened once before. The worst thing Nate could do is repeat the same mistake, by getting attached to one of his clients. Nevermind the fact that it was probably too late, and Nate had quite possibly fallen for Mihael. For the sake of convenience, Nate would pretend he hadn't.

And besides, it's not like Mihael felt the same way about Nate, the way Nate did for him. The proof of that fact was in the form of Kiyomi Takada, Mihael's annoyingly perfect girlfriend.

 _What about the time he almost kissed you? Why would he do that, if he didn't feel the same way?_ A small voice in Nate's mind reminded him. Why, indeed? That's something Nate hadn't been able to rationalize, no matter how much he'd tried to. He'd replayed that moment in his head over and over, ever since the day it had happened. No matter what he did, he couldn't forget the feel of Mihael's fingers entwined in his, the closeness of his face and his warm breath fanning over Nate's face that had only spurred Nate's heart on, making it beat wildly in his chest. He couldn't forget how he'd squeezed their joined hands, waiting for Mihael to close what little distance remained.

And he almost did...until that phone call.

Ever since that day, Nate had been on edge, because of what he'd almost encouraged. He still didn't know why Mihael had initiated it, but it hadn't mattered. That was the moment Nate had realized how deep he'd fallen. It had been a harsh wake up call. Nate knew he couldn't act normally around Mihael after that, and he'd gone insane, trying to figure out a way to keep his interactions with Mihael minimal.

For once, fortunately or unfortunately, luck seemed to have favored Nate, and Mihael screwed up, landing Nate the perfect opportunity to rid himself of Mihael, and naively hoping his feelings for Mihael would, consequently, fade away.

Nate hadn't counted on Mihael relentlessly texting him and calling him though, trying to get Nate to talk to him and understand why Nate had done what he'd done. It wasn't like Nate could tell Mihael the real reason, and he could only rely on his weak excuses for so long before Mihael would get it out of him. And so, Nate's only solution was to completely avoid Mihael, no matter how hard it proved to be.

Speaking of, Nate was ripped out of his thoughts when he heard his phone vibrating on the side table. The first thing he did was glance at the small alarm clock beside it, reading the time on it. 1-00 AM. Nate frowned, staring at his still vibrating phone. It was far too late for this to be a call from work.

Sighing tiredly, Nate grabbed his phone, not entirely writing off the possibility of this being a call from L. It wouldn't be the first time his eccentric boss called him in the middle of the night. Staring at his still vibrating phone, Nate frowned. It wasn't a number he recognized. Hesitating for a brief second, Nate answered the call.

"Hello?"

For a few seconds, Nate heard nothing but silence on the other end, save for the soft breathing of whoever was on the other line. Belatedly, Nate realized he probably shouldn't have answered a call from an unknown number, because it was quite possible this could be —

"Nate?" Nate froze, his heart thudding painfully at the all too familiar voice. This was a bad idea. He shouldn't have taken the call. He should've _known._ What had he been _thinking?_

"Nate, please don't hang up!" Mihael pleaded and Nate had to close his eyes and take a few deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart. He said nothing, however. But he didn't hang up, either. It had been way too long since he'd heard Mihael's voice, and Nate could feel his control slipping and he was _tired._ He just wanted to hear Mihael's voice again.

Nate let out an almost inaudible sigh, lying down on his bed, putting his phone on speaker and setting it down beside his head.

"Thank you," Mihael murmured and Nate could almost picture the soft smile on Mihael's face. "I…" Mihael trailed off. Nate stared at the phone, waiting for Mihael to continue. "Cut this out, Nate. Please."

Nate almost said something. Almost. He didn't, however.

"This is the first time in weeks that you've taken my call, and it's only because I called from Matt's number!" Right, Nate should've saved Matt's number when he'd had the chance.

"I…" Mihael heaved a sigh, "I really wish you'd just talk to me and let me explain myself. I know I could say it now, but it wouldn't be the same. I need to know that you're actually listening. For all I know, you've probably fallen asleep on me, and are just trying to humor me. It's no different than talking to your voicemail, you know."

Nate's lips twitched. He heard Mihael sigh once again. "This is stupid. You're starting to piss me off now, you know? I have my limits, too. This was a stupid idea. It's obvious you want nothing to do with me. I'm sorry I called." The line went dead.

Nate stared at the phone, feeling a sharp pang in his chest. He turned on his side, facing away from the offending phone and closed his eyes, trying in vain to fall asleep.

* * *

When Nate walked towards his office cabin the next morning, he was greeted by the sight of L standing outside, waiting with hunched shoulders for Nate to arrive.

Nate raised his eyebrows as he approached L. "What are you doing here?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Good morning to you too," L greeted. "How are you this morning?"

Nate scowled at L. "Stop with the needless formalities, L." He narrowed his eyes. "Why were you outside my cabin?"

"I wanted to talk." L answered easily.

"What about?"

L gestured at Nate's door. "I'd rather we do it in the privacy of your office."

Nate sighed in frustration, opening the door and waiting for L to walk in. Once he had, Nate followed after him, closing the door behind him. Once inside, Nate remained standing while L made himself comfortable on Nate's chair, immediately lifting a CD case and looking it over curiously, turning it around in his hands. It was a copy of Mihael's demo.

Nate scowled at that, tapping his foot impatiently, waiting for L to say what he needed to.

"So, how's work going?" L said finally, setting the CD case back on Nate's desk.

Nate furrowed his brows in confusion. "It's going fine. L, did you really come all the way to my office just to check up on me?"

"Am I not allowed to do that?" L countered.

Nate rolled his eyes, taking a seat across from L. "I highly doubt you do that for the rest of your employees."

L shrugged indifferently. "That's because I don't have any personal attachments to any of them. I do to you, however."

Nate ignored that. "Like I said, work's fine, so you can leave me alone now."

L shook his head, his look of casual indifference changing to one that was a lot more serious. "I wanted to talk to you about your client, Mihael Keehl."

Nate stiffened. "What about him?"

"What I want to know is," L began, standing up from his seat and walking around the desk to stand right behind Nate, hand resting gently on Nate's shoulder, "why, when I went to Naomi Misora, asking her to sign Sayu Yagami on as her client, she told me she couldn't do it, because she was already busy with other clients, the latest one being Mihael Keehl?"

Nate pursed his lips, refusing to answer.

"Wasn't Mihael your client, Nate?" L pressed.

"Yes, he _was,_ " Nate responded tightly, hands balling into fists on his lap, "but he's not anymore."

"Why isn't he your client anymore, Nate?"

Nate hesitated. He'd have to make this as convincing as possible. He knew L was incredibly perceptive, so lying wouldn't cut it. He'd have to try and distort the truth. "I realized he and I aren't capable of working smoothly together." He said.

L frowned. "I thought you two were getting along just fine. A little too well, if I might add."

Nate looked over his shoulder at L, glaring at him. "I don't like your implications, L."

"You're just assuming." L said, smirking. Nate grit his teeth. He knew L was getting back at him for the time he'd similarly confronted Nate about being rude to Light and Nate had calmly refused any such accusations by claiming it was just L assuming things.

"In any case, it's not like I forced Naomi Misora to take Mihael on as a client. She agreed to it." Nate said.

"That's because she thought it was a temporary thing, Nate." L said exasperatedly. "She thought you were too busy with some of your other clients and you needed someone to fill in for Mihael, _temporarily._ "

"Well, it seems she and Mihael get along much better than Mihael and I ever did, so it's all worked out just fine." Nate muttered.

"Except, it hasn't. She was supposed to be signing Sayu Yagami on. Now with her signing Mihael on as a client, I know for a fact that having to handle both Sayu Yagami _and_ Mihael's careers, along with the rest of her clients, isn't something she'll be able to handle. Especially considering LTA insists on being as closely involved in a client's career as possible." L explained, going back around the desk and sitting down once more. He leaned forward, staring intently at Nate. "I'm afraid I have no choice but to make _you_ sign Sayu Yagami on as a client instead."

Nate's face paled. "What?"

"I don't have anyone else to turn to."

"What about her brother?" Nate asked, voice almost desperate. "Why can't he continue being her agent and manager? He's been doing a perfectly good job for her so far, hasn't he?"

"I told you, Light has decided he wants to focus on more low-profile artists. And he only trusts me with his sister's career." L said.

Nate looked torn. He was literally caught between a rock and hard place. Neither options were particularly desirable for him at this point.

"Nate," L began gently, gaze softening in understanding, "you haven't actually transferred your contract with Mihael to Naomi Misora yet, have you?"

Nate said nothing, staring down at his hands on his lap. L took that as an answer and continued, voice still soft, "I can give you till the end of this week to think it over." With that, L stood up from his seat once more and walked towards the door. Just before he exited, he said, "Maybe talk to Misora about it. She'll probably be able to help you make a decision."

-x-

"Nate, are you okay?" Naomi asked, forehead creased in concern.

Nate had unexpectedly decided to pay her a visit in her office. He knew she was in today, and wasn't out with Mihael. Nate knew this because she tended to inform him of whatever meetings she was getting for Mihael, because officially, Nate was still Mihael's agent. He hadn't transferred the contract to her, yet. He didn't want to think about the reason behind that, though.

Nate shifted uncomfortably in his seat at Naomi's question. He wasn't sure how to bring this up. Nate wasn't particularly in the habit of having heart-to-heart conversations with her. But after L, Nate was closest to Naomi, and she was infinitely better than L at advice. That, and she was presently acting as Mihael's agent. Steeling himself, Nate finally decided to speak. "I wanted to talk to you about Mihael."

Naomi's expression changed into one of understanding. "I'm listening."

"Do you...do you want to be his agent?" Nate asked, not looking her in the eye.

"That depends," Naomi said, and even though Nate wasn't looking at her, he could practically hear the smile in her voice. "Do _you_ want me to be Mihael's agent?"

"Of course." Nate lied.

"Nate," Naomi began, "you do realize he misses you, right?"

Nate tried not to react to that. He wanted to scoff and tell Naomi she was wrong, that he'd only believe it if Mihael said it himself. "Why would he miss me? Agents come and go. It's not that unusual. I'm sure he understands that."

"Except, this didn't seem like an amicable thing," Naomi argued. "I didn't press it the other day, but I need to know what happened, Nate. Why did you suddenly decide to ditch him?" Nate opened his mouth to answer but Naomi cut him off quickly. "And don't tell me it's because you got bored and wanted to focus on other clients. I called bullshit on it back when you told it to Mihael, and I'm going to call bullshit on it now."

Nate sighed. "He embarrassed me, Naomi."

"How?"

"He made me look bad in front of Halle Lidner. He showed up late to his meeting because he was drinking the previous night, and this was despite knowing that I'd taken full responsibility for him and promised Halle that he wouldn't screw up. And yet, he did." Nate said, frowning.

Naomi nodded slowly. "I understand. But Nate…"

"What?" Nate questioned.

"Was that really the only reason?"

Nate wanted to say that yes, that was the only reason. But he couldn't. For some reason, he was finding it incredibly difficult to keep up the pretense.

"I mean," Naomi continued, "you've had clients screw up before. You never lost your patience with them, though. And...Mihael's a sweet guy. I liked him, to be honest. And I thought you liked him too, and he obviously liked you. He wanted nothing more than to have you back as his agent. He refused to accept me as his agent at first, you know."

Nate couldn't help a small smile. "What did he say when you showed up instead of me?"

"He kept insisting on you being present, because you're his agent, not me." Naomi replied, smiling too.

Nate shook his head, the smile not quite leaving his lips. "He's stubborn, if nothing else."

"Look, if you really want me to sign him on as a client, I'd be happy to. But that'd just mean you'd have to sign with Sayu, and I know that's not something you're thrilled about, considering…" Naomi trailed off.

Nate bit his lip, looking thoughtful. "I'll think it over, I suppose." He stood up from his seat, chair scraping against the wooden floor. "I should get back to work."

Naomi nodded. Before Nate could leave, however, she said, "Nate, Mihael's worth another shot, you know. He screwed up, yes. He embarrassed you, yes. But...don't write him off. I know you know he's worth the second chance."

Nate didn't respond. He just left the office, feeling like an even heavier weight had been put upon him. So much for him trying to find an easy fix to his problem.

-x-

"Nate!"

Nate stopped in his tracks, refusing to turn around, hand paused on the door. Typical of him to forget now that Sayu Yagami was in talks with LTA for an agent, she'd been frequenting the agency a lot more than usual. Still, Nate hadn't expected her to be waiting in the lobby when he'd decided to go out for a coffee run.

Nate heard footsteps moving closer. Mentally bracing himself, he turned around and glared at Sayu. "What?" He almost snapped.

Sayu barely even flinched. She had gotten accustomed to Nate's hostility. "Where are you off to?"

"Why do you want to know?"

Sayu rolled her eyes. "You're going to have to stop being so horrible to me once you're my agent, you know."

Nate blanched. "Who told you that?"

"Told me what?" Sayu asked innocently.

"That I'm going to be your agent?" Nate clarified.

"Oh, that!" Sayu shrugged nonchalantly, "My brother."

"How did your brother know?" Nate frowned. "Nevermind, don't answer that."

"L and Light could never keep things from each other," Sayu chuckled. "You know that as well as I do, Nate."

"Yeah, unfortunately." Nate mumbled. He then looked at Sayu seriously. "Nothing's official yet, just so you're aware. We're still deciding."

"I know," Sayu said, nodding in understanding. Her gaze fixed on Nate's, a pleading look in her eyes. "Regardless, I just want us to be on good terms again, Nate." She bit her lip, hesitating momentarily before adding, "I act like I'm okay with your hostility, but I'm not, you know?"

Nate coughed awkwardly, looking anywhere but at Sayu's pleading gaze. "I'm not hostile. I'm just indifferent."

"No, you're hostile!" Sayu insisted, impulsively reaching out and holding Nate's arm. "We used to be friends, Nate, in case you've forgotten."

Nate bristled, pulling his arm out of Sayu's grasp. "That didn't stop you from leaving without a word all those years ago, did it?"

"That was my brother's choice, not mine." Sayu reminded him.

"Regardless," Nate said coolly, "I'm not interested in having this conversation right now. I just want to go get my coffee."

Sayu's face immediately brightened. "Oh, so that's where you're going! I'll come with you! I've been meaning to go get myself some coffee too, anyway."

Nate's eye twitched in indignation. "I'd rather you didn't, to be honest."

"Nate," Sayu said cheekily, "that's not very gentlemanly of you."

Nate sighed in frustration, walking out the door. Sayu quickly followed after him.

-x-

The cafe was buzzing with people when Nate and Sayu entered. He sighed at the long line of people in front of the cashier.

"Coffee's on me," Sayu offered, digging around in her purse and pulling out a small wallet. "You can go take a seat. I'll wait in the line."

Nate wasn't in the mood to get into another pointless argument with Sayu, so he relented, sitting down heavily on one of the couches. Minutes later, Sayu joined him, handing him his drink. Nate was about to stand up and exit the cafe when Sayu stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. Nate went rigid, looking at her in question.

"Can't you hang around for a bit?" Sayu requested.

"I have work to do, you know." Nate pointed out, but his tone wasn't hostile anymore. If anything, he just sounded weary.

"Half an hour won't kill you," Sayu said, guiding Nate back to the couch and forcing him to sit. She followed soon after, smiling at him as she took a sip of her drink. "Let's catch up."

"There's nothing to catch up on," Nate replied, taking a sip from his own coffee. "Nothing's different in my life."

"Lies!" Sayu leaned forward excitedly, eyes glinting. "Tell me about Mihael!"

Nate's eyes widened and he almost dropped his coffee in surprise. "What?" He managed.

"I met him at an audition, that was a big surprise by the way because I know that's not your style, but then he told me you're no longer his agent!" Sayu explained, her voice unnaturally cheery. "I was confused, to be honest. You seemed to have been quite taken by him, weren't you? That's what L told Light anyway."

Nate flushed. " L needs to learn how to mind his own business." He muttered. "It's nothing like that."

Sayu grinned. "Of course it is. Just because we haven't been in touch for so long doesn't mean I've forgotten how to read your face." Sayu then leaned even closer, her voice dropping. "Speaking of, Mihael wanted to know what happened between us. He seemed awfully keen on knowing. Didn't you ever tell him?"

Nate shook his head. "He's my client, not my friend."

"And yet you go out on casual dinners with him?" Sayu pressed.

"That's…" Nate trailed off, flustered. He'd almost forgotten they'd run into Sayu back then. He quickly regained his composure, clearing his throat. "That was just one time." And then, because Nate couldn't stop the curiosity from burning within him, he said, "Did he...did he say something about…"

Despite Nate not finishing his sentence, Sayu knew exactly what he'd meant to ask. She smiled, leaning back. "He just told me you weren't his agent anymore. He sounded really bitter about it, by the way."

Nate swallowed thickly, unable to form a coherent response to that. He realized a moment too late that talking to people about Mihael was doing nothing but weaken his resolve to stay away from him. "Oh." He said unintelligibly.

Silence fell between the two and Nate was trying to figure out a way to excuse himself from Sayu and leave when Sayu beat him to it. "I should go. I'd made plans to hang out with Misa after her shift ended."

"Misa Amane, our receptionist?" Nate asked curiously.

Sayu nodded brightly. "I'm surprised you even know her name!" At Nate's offended look, she backtracked. "I'm kidding! Anyway, she and I really hit it off, considering all the time I've been spending in the lobby these past few days. I asked her if she wanted to hang out...and she said yes."

Nate noticed Sayu's face had turned red at the admission. "Oh," he said again. "Well, I can drop you off at the agency then."

Sayu nodded, standing up from her seat. "Let's go!"

* * *

Normally, Nate would appreciate the weekend. The weekends were when he could truly relax and do things he genuinely enjoyed. Like building his Lego city or finishing one of his blank puzzles. It was a nice stress relief after a long and grueling week of interacting with different kinds of people. He liked the solitude the weekend brought with it.

This weekend, however, Nate was far from relaxed. His mind was buzzing in thought. Come Monday, Nate had to give L an answer. If he decided on signing Sayu as his client, Nate would lose Mihael as his client for good. It was a good thing, of course, if Nate really wanted to rid himself from Mihael.

That was the trouble, however. Now that Nate had the chance, he wasn't sure he wanted to go through with it anymore. He replayed his conversations with Naomi and Sayu over and over in his head. Did Mihael really miss him? Did Mihael really want him back? Was there even the slightest possible chance that Mihael felt the same way about Nate?

 _But what about Kiyomi Takada, his girlfriend?_ A small voice in Nate's head asked. Nate wasn't sure he could adequately answer that. He let out an angry growl, unable to deal with his thoughts anymore. He stood up abruptly, walking into the living room and sitting down heavily on the couch. He reached for the TV remote on the table in front of him, hoping the soft blaring of the television would help ease his mind. It was obvious he needed a visual distraction. His Legos, sadly, weren't helping today.

But it wasn't the television that distracted him from his thoughts. Rather, it was the ringing of his doorbell that snapped him out of his daze, making him stand up and stare at the door in surprise. The bell rang once again. Sighing, Nate made his way to the door. For once, curiosity got the better of him, because it was extremely unusual for him to have visitors over the weekend, and he opened the door, not realizing that he should've probably seen who it was through the peephole first. It seemed, he was doing a lot of things on impulse lately.

But of course, it was too late for that. Nate stood rooted in place, staring in shock at the person standing in his doorway.

Mihael stood in the doorway, smiling awkwardly. "Hey."

Nate continued staring. His heart refused to slow down and he could feel his hands shaking. He quickly balled them into fists. He'd suddenly lost his ability to speak.

"Can I come in?" Mihael asked.

Nate seemed to have regained some of his ability to speak then. "What are you doing here?" His voice wavered just a bit.

"I needed to talk to you," Mihael answered, leaning against the doorframe. "You weren't responding to my texts or my calls, and you kicked me out of your office, too. I was left with no choice."

"This is highly inappropriate." Nate pointed out.

"I don't care," Mihael said dismissively. "Can I come in?"

"What if I said no?"

Mihael rolled his eyes. "I'd just push past you, then." He looked at Nate seriously. "I'm not leaving without giving you my side of the story, Nate."

Nate closed his eyes for a long moment, taking a deep breath and letting it out. He opened his eyes and wordlessly turned around and walked into the living room, leaving the door open for Mihael to walk through.

He heard the clicking of Mihael's boots as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Nate had his back facing to Mihael, so he wasn't sure what Mihael's face looked like, or how close or far apart he was standing. All he could really focus on was Mihael's voice, so full of emotion Nate couldn't place, as he spoke. "Nate."

Just the utterance of his name had Nate's heart thudding even harder against his chest. Nate briefly wondered if Mihael could hear it.

"Can you please turn around and look at me?"

Nate's body seemed to move on its own. He slowly turned around and faced Mihael, his face a blank mask. Nate desperately hoped none of his inner turmoil broke through and made itself visible on his face.

Mihael was standing a few feet away from Nate, a respectable distance between the two. Nate was glad about that. He wasn't sure he'd be able to think straight if Mihael stood any closer.

"Go ahead." Nate said.

Mihael took a deep breath and stepped forward. Nate tried not to flinch. "I'm sorry I fucked up."

Nate remained silent, waiting for Mihael to go on.

"I'm sorry I showed up late to my meeting and pissed Halle off. I'm sorry she said all those hurtful things to you. Do you think I wanted that to happen? I didn't! But..." Nate heard Mihael's voice catch. "But none of that excuses the fact that you just abandoned me, without a word! That wasn't cool, Nate. You didn't even give me a chance to explain myself before you made that decision. Do you know how shitty it was for me to find out the way I did that you were no longer going to be my agent?"

Nate felt himself snap. He wasn't sure what it was exactly, maybe it was Mihael's subtle way of pinning the responsibility on Nate, or maybe it was just because he'd had an emotionally draining week and he no longer possessed the strength to keep himself in check. Either way, Nate found that he couldn't hold himself back any longer. "You said you didn't want to fuck up, didn't you?" He said, voice shaking.

Mihael nodded quickly.

"Then why," Nate snapped, unconsciously taking a step forward, "were you drinking the night before you had an important meeting, Mihael? You knew very well what it took for me to convince Halle to give you a chance! After everything I told you, about my position at the agency, and the fact that I gave Halle my _word_ that you wouldn't screw up, _that's_ what you do? You get _drunk_ and show up an hour and a half late, and what's worse, try to steal ten minutes off of someone else's time? How do you think that reflected on me, Mihael? What do you think I should've done, if not ditch you right then and there?"

Mihael stood still, letting Nate's angry tirade wash over him. He took a step closer. Nate could see the way he was struggling to maintain his cool. "I thought you liked me enough to not let one screw up change anything. I thought I was worth more than that to you."

"And I thought you liked me enough to not get drunk the night before and embarrass the fuck out of me in front of an important contact, Mihael!" Nate countered.

"I do!" Mihael yelled, glaring at Nate. "That's the fucking problem, Nate! I like you too _goddamn much_ and that's exactly why I fucked up!"

Nate stared at Mihael, stunned.

Mihael took another step closer. Nate knew he should take a step back, but his feet remained glued to the spot. Mihael clenched his hands into fists by his sides, still glaring at Nate. "The reason I drank was because I was fucking _nervous,_ Nate. I didn't want to let you down. I wanted things to go smoothly. _That's_ why I drank. I thought it'd relax me! That's what I've been wanting to tell you! I didn't _mean_ to let you down!" He took another step closer, his voice softening. "I like you too damn much to do that to you, you know."

Nate gulped. His eyes fell on the small distance between them. When had that happened? Nate could've sworn Mihael was standing farther away just a few minutes ago.

"Your turn, Nate." Mihael said quietly.

"My turn to what?" Nate asked. He hated how unstable he felt. What Mihael had just said...did he mean…?

"I want answers, Nate. Why did you just ditch me like that? I refuse to believe it was solely because I fucked up." Mihael stepped even closer. This time, Nate did take a step back. "I refuse to believe that after nearly six months of being together, that's how little you care about me."

There was something about Mihael's word choice that made Nate look away, his face heating up. "I don't know what you want me to say, when really, that's all there is to it. Stop looking for any deeper meaning behind my actions." Nate muttered.

"Does this…" Mihael hesitated before continuing, "Does this have anything to do with what almost happened between us in your apartment a few weeks ago?"

Nate's head snapped towards Mihael so quickly he almost winced. How did Mihael know? Was he slipping? Was it visible on his face? Nate thought he was doing a good job of hiding his emotions. Was he really that easy to read now?

"That's it, isn't it?" Mihael pressed, when Nate didn't answer.

"No." Nate tried, but with the way his voice shook, he wasn't surprised that Mihael had caught his lie. He really was slipping.

"You used my screw up as an excuse to get rid of me, so you wouldn't have to admit the truth to me." Mihael whispered, awed. "I've figured you out, Nate River."

"You've figured nothing out," Nate snapped defensively. "I have completely forgotten about whatever happened. That had nothing to do with my decision to let you go."

"Liar," Mihael half laughed. Nate saw him walk closer, and suddenly, there was hardly any space between them. Mihael stared down at him, smiling slightly. "You obviously feel something for me. You're just scared to admit it." Mihael slowly lifted his hands and cupped Nate's face gently between them.

Nate stood completely still, eyes locked on Mihael's. He knew he should move, but he couldn't bring himself to. He liked the feel of Mihael's warm hands on his cheeks, his thumbs softly caressing his skin. "It's unprofessional," Nate protested weakly. "Everyone knows you shouldn't mix your personal and professional lives. Did you know there was a clause that was added to the talent agencies' act, where it states that if an agent acted inappropriately with a client, the client can sue the agent and the agency? Why would I want to put the agency through tha—"

"Nate," Mihael cut in, amused. "I'm not going to sue you."

"But—"

"Nate," Mihael murmured, tilting his face to the side and leaning down, "Can you please stop talking for a moment?"

Nate's words died in his throat the moment Mihael's face moved even closer to his. He could feel Mihael's breath ghost over his lips. He stared up at Mihael's face, his heart beating wildly in his chest, so much so that Nate could hear it clear and loud in his ears, and he was almost positive that this close, Mihael could hear it, too. If Mihael stepped even closer, their chests would touch and then he'd be able to _feel_ it, too.

Mihael was looking at Nate intently, his gaze questioning. _Is this okay?_ Almost unconsciously, Nate licked his lips.

Mihael apparently took that as consent , because the next thing he knew, Mihael had pressed his lips softly against his. Nate's mind stuttered to a stop, eyes widening, only one coherent thought going through his head.

Mihael was _kissing_ him. This was _real,_ not an elaborately crafted illusion by his brain. Mihael was real and warm and he was kissing Nate.

It was a really soft, gentle kiss that despite it all managed to steal Nate's breath away.

Nate, for his part, didn't quite know how to respond. While Mihael moved his lips softly against Nate's, all Nate could do was stare at his face. Mihael's eyes were closed, his brows furrowed slightly. Nate knew he needed to stop to this, that this wasn't appropriate, that Mihael had a girlfriend and this definitely counted as cheating.

But Mihael's lips against Nate's felt so _nice_ , so soft and warm, that Nate couldn't help but let out a small sigh. This was something he'd been wanting, _craving_ for months now, and it had finally, _finall_ y happened. He could allow himself to indulge, just a bit.

Just for ten seconds.

Nate slowly kissed him back, mentally beginning a countdown in his head. As far as he was concerned, this _was_ an illusion, a beautiful and short lived illusion, because once his ten seconds were up, all of this would end. It would be like it never even happened. But he'd give himself these ten seconds.

Nate slipped his eyes closed, letting himself _feel,_ ceasing to think. The countdown in the back of his head continued, however.

Nate felt Mihael smile against his lips and he felt his heart leap. Too soon, Nate's ten seconds were up and his lips stopped moving against Mihael's. Mihael, however, continued kissing him, seemingly lost in the sensations. Nate lifted shaking hands and brought them up to Mihael's chest, resting them lightly against his chest, fully intending to push him away, but he paused when he felt Mihael's racing heartbeats beneath his palms.

Mihael stopped kissing Nate then, pulling away briefly, slowly opening his eyes and gazing into Nate's. Nate tried to identify the emotion in them, hands still frozen on Mihael's chest, unmoving, but he couldn't, for the life of him, figure it out.

Mihael slid his palms down from Nate's cheeks, down his neck and over his shoulders, before lightly sliding down Nate's arms and slowly wrapping his arms around Nate's waist. He then dropped his head onto Nate's shoulder, burying his face in the crook of Nate's neck. He exhaled heavily into Nate's heated skin, causing him to shiver slightly. "I missed you, Nate," Mihael whispered into his neck, lips brushing against skin. "I missed you so damn much."

Nate couldn't think straight, not when Mihael was holding him the way he was, like his life depended on it. His ten seconds were long since up, and he'd yet to push Mihael away. Nate knew he didn't want to push him away, and he was almost certain he couldn't, even if he'd wanted to.

"Please come back, Nate." Mihael mumbled, pressing a soft kiss against Nate's neck.

"I didn't actually go anywhere." Nate tried to joke but his voice came out strangled, breath hitching when he felt Mihael press another light kiss against his neck. His hands bunched into fists against Mihael's chest instinctively, clutching his shirt tightly, unconsciously pulling him closer. So much for trying to push him away, Nate thought dryly.

Mihael slowly lifted his head from Nate's shoulder, his face inches from Nate's. The two stared at one another for what felt like forever, their lips inches from one another's. It was obvious Mihael wanted Nate to make a move.

Nate closed his eyes, trying to collect his thoughts together. He needed to tell Mihael to leave. He wanted to feel Mihael's lips on his again. He needed Mihael to step away from him. He wanted to feel Mihael as close to him as possible. The obvious contradictions within Nate were beyond anything he could handle, and ultimately, he did what any person in his position would do.

He gave into temptation.

Leaning forward, Nate closed the distance between them, pressing his lips firmly against Mihael's. This kiss, unlike the first one, wasn't soft or gentle. This kiss was all urgency and barely suppressed desire. This kiss was Nate finally losing the last bit of control he'd tried to have over himself.

Mihael kissed Nate back enthusiastically, his arms tightening their hold against Nate's waist and pulling him flush against his body. Nate's hands unclenched around Mihael's shirt, instead sliding up his chest and _finally_ burying themselves in Mihael's soft hair, weaving his fingers through the strands, a soft gasp escaping his lips. This was another thing Nate had longed for.

Mihael broke away from the kiss momentarily, resting his forehead against Nate's and just letting himself _be_ , breaths coming out in short pants. Nate was in no better condition, his cheeks burning hot and breathing ragged as his fingers fisted in Mihael's hair, tugging on it roughly.

Mihael let out a soft moan, pulling Nate into another kiss. The kiss took on a more telling urgency the more Nate continued to weave his fingers through Mihael's hair, pulling on it, unable to stop, making Mihael groan into his mouth.

Before Nate could realize what was happening, Mihael was slowly guiding them backwards and Nate felt the back of his knees hit the edge of the couch. Mihael gently pushed Nate on to the couch. Nate lay there, half sprawled out on the couch, chest heaving before Mihael crawled over him, his legs on either side of Nate's hips, hands cupping Nate's cheeks once more. He leaned down and captured Nate's lips in another heated kiss, nipping gently on his bottom lip. Nate moaned into his mouth, his arms going around Mihael's waist, sliding underneath his shirt, fingers digging into Mihael's bare skin.

Mihael pulled away and Nate almost whimpered in protest before Mihael began trailing kisses down his jawline and down to his neck. At the juncture between neck and shoulder, he bit down gently. Nate's hips jerked in surprise at the sudden stab of pleasure coursing through him. Mihael began sucking at the same spot and it took all of Nate's self control to not groan loudly. Nate wasn't a very vocal person. In order to distract himself, Nate began trailing his fingers down Mihael's spine, delighting in the way Mihael's body trembled over his at the contact. He leaned his head up slightly, not disturbing Mihael's positioning, and lightly pressed his own mouth against Mihael's neck.

Mihael stopped kissing Nate's neck just as Nate began sucking on his, teeth scraping against Mihael's heated and undeniably sensitive skin. Mihael groaned. Unlike Nate, he wasn't particularly ashamed to vocalize his pleasure, it seemed. He buried his face in Nate's hair as Nate continued assaulting his neck, letting out small whimpers into Nate's ear.

Nate, for some strange reason, couldn't stop kissing Mihael's skin or roaming his hands across the expanse of his back. He just wanted to keep touching Mihael. In some ways, he was like a man possessed. It was almost like that one simple kiss, the one Nate had foolishly let himself indulge in, thinking he'd be able to stop whenever he wanted, had unleashed something within him and now he was at its mercy, doing what it instructed him to do, and that was, to not stop touching Mihael, no matter what.

Eventually, Mihael pushed himself away from Nate's reach, still leaning over him, his cheeks tinted pink and his eyes glazed, breathing heavy. Nate's gaze briefly flickered to the small blossoming bruises on the side of Mihael's neck. He felt himself flush in embarrassment at the sight, quickly averting his gaze from the hickeys to Mihael's eyes.

"Nate," Mihael said, his breathing slowly going back to normal, "I have something to tell you."

Nate tried to even out his own breathing. "What?"

"I called Halle Lidner a few days ago."

Nate's eyes widened in shock and he abruptly sat up, bumping his head against Mihael's in his haste. They both winced in pain, and Mihael moved aside, in order to give Nate more room. "Why did you do that?" Nate asked.

Mihael shrugged. "To apologize, of course."

"Mihael you can't just call her whenever you feel like!" Nate snapped, the high of desire instantly seeping away from his body. Now that he wasn't caught in the throes of lust and passion, he could think straight again.

"Relax, Nate. She wasn't mad, I promise." Mihael soothed, reaching his hand out to grab Nate's. Nate flinched away from him, scooting back. Mihael appeared hurt. "What's wrong?"

Nate gestured between them. "This shouldn't have happened."

Mihael's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why not? Nate, is it because of the whole professionalism thing? I told you, I'm not going to sue you, not when this is something I wanted, too."

"You have a girlfriend, Mihael. You just cheated on your girlfriend."

Mihael stared at Nate in shock for a moment before letting out a laugh. He shook his head, leaning forward and kissing Nate's lips softly. Almost on instinct, Nate kissed him back. Mihael slowly pulled away, smiling. "I broke up with Kiyomi almost a week ago."

"Why?" Nate asked stupidly.

Mihael rolled his eyes, leaning back. "Besides, your moral compass is kind of skewed, don't you think? It didn't occur to you that this was wrong while we were making out, did it?"

Nate remained pointedly silent.

"Anyway, you never let me finish what I wanted to say to you." Nate gestured for him to go on. "I called Halle, apologized to her and got myself another meeting with her. Tomorrow."

Nate's eyes widened in disbelief. "W-what?" He stammered out.

"It's why I came over here, to tell you that. I wanted to see your reaction in person." Mihael said, smiling smugly.

"I...I don't quite know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, Nate." Mihael said quietly, all hints of his smile fading. "I just want you to be there tomorrow."

"Technically, your agent needs to be there tomorrow." Nate clarified.

"Yes, and that's _you._ " Mihael said, leaning forward once more. "I want you there, Nate."

Nate pursed his lips, looking anywhere but at Mihael.

Mihael brought his face close Nate's, making Nate's breath hitch in anticipation before he slowly pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "The meeting's at 10 A.M tomorrow, Nate. I'll be waiting for you."

And with that, Mihael pulled away and got off the couch, adjusting his disheveled appearance before exiting the house, leaving behind an incredibly flustered Nate to stare after him.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope the wait was worth it. You can come scream at me now. Either here, or on my tumblr: lawlietsjustice.**

 **Feedback is appreciated :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: And here we are. This is the end folks. It's been such a great journey, and I want to thank every single one of you for sticking by this fic, even when I didn't update for months on end. This is the first time I've finished something I've started, so it's kind of a huge deal for me. I hope you guys enjoy this final chapter, and it makes up for all the angst and the slow-burn. Also, this chapter has both Mihael and Nate's povs. Linebreaks mean it's a shift in pov, while '-x-' means a change in scene, but still the same pov.**

* * *

 **Just A Date - Not Work**

As soon as Mihael left his house, Nate let out a shaky breath, slowly getting off the couch. It was sort of surreal to think that just minutes ago, he'd been pinned down to this very couch by Mihael while they passionately made out. Had that really happened? Or had Nate simply fallen asleep on the couch and everything that he thought had happened was, in reality, just a very vivid dream?

His lips still tingled from having Mihael's pressed against his, and his body had yet to return to its normal temperature. Slowly, he raised his hand up to his neck, brushing his fingers over the overly sensitive skin. He shivered, remembering the feel of Mihael's lips there, sucking and biting. There definitely had to be marks on his skin, if this was all real. He had to know, he had to _know_ he wasn't going insane with desire. He had to know this had all been real.

He shakily made his way over to the bathroom, turning the light on. His eyes fell on the mirror right in front of him, compelling him to step closer and stare at his own reflection. Nate wasn't vain, not when it came to physical appearances, so it was sort of unusual for him to be actively seeking out his own reflection in the mirror, curious to see what his face actually looked like.

His eyes widened at the sight that greeted him.

Nate looked like a mess. His hair was all over the place and his face was flushed, his cheeks a delicate shade of pink. He trailed his eyes down to his neck, instantly spotting the purplish bruises scattered across his skin. Nate felt himself blush at the sight, once again brushing the tender skin with his fingertips. So this had not been a dream, after all. Mihael had wanted this just as much as Nate had, if not more.

What did all of this mean for them, then?

Did Mihael want to be with Nate, in the romantic sense? Was this just a one time occurrence, a spur of the moment sort of thing? Or did all of this actually mean something? Sure, Mihael had admitted to liking Nate, but Nate couldn't be sure of the extent to which Mihael's feelings ran. Even if Mihael's feelings were deep enough, there was the issue of professionalism. There was no way Nate could continue being Mihael's agent if he got involved with him, because that would compromise his job. He'd lose all objectivity and his ability to remain calm, rational and detached. He'd end up letting his personal feelings for Mihael affect his professional career.

Mihael didn't deserve that. Mihael deserved an agent who'd solely have Mihael's professional interests in mind.

But then again, Nate was the only one who was familiar with Mihael's work. He was the one who'd seen Mihael grow into the artist he was today. Sure, he still had a long way to go, but that didn't negate the fact that Mihael had, in the past few months, come a long way, too. Nate wasn't sure he trusted another agent to put in the kind of dedication and effort someone like Mihael deserved.

This was truly, in Nate's very honest opinion, a bitch of a situation he'd found himself stuck in.

He let out a sigh, suddenly feeling very exhausted. It figures, the first good thing to have happened to him in months, and he couldn't even enjoy it without overthinking. He briefly wondered if Mihael was in the same situation. If he, too, was contemplating the sudden change in their relationship now.

Knowing Mihael, he probably wasn't.

If Mihael were to bear witness to Nate's inner turmoil, the first thing he'd probably do is smirk infuriatingly and talk about how Nate needed to let loose from time to time and quit pondering over every small detail. That particular mental image managed to put a small smile on Nate's lips, making him shake his head slightly and exit the bathroom.

He still had a day before he had to inform L of his decision, and he'd been agonizing over it for days now. He definitely could give himself one day to let loose and indulge, and that's exactly what he did. He slowly settled himself back on the couch, closing his eyes and replaying the kiss with Mihael over and over in his head, the smile not quite leaving his face.

* * *

The second Mihael opened the door to his apartment, Matt jumped up from the couch and headed straight to him, an expectant look on his face. Mihael rolled his eyes and sighed, making his way to the bedroom while completely ignoring Matt.

"Hey!" Matt called out, following him into the bedroom.

"What is it, Matt?" Mihael asked, gathering his hair into a loose ponytail.

"How did it go with Nate?" Matt asked, walking around Mihael to stand in front him. "Did he finally listen to what you had to say?"

Mihael pursed his lips, contemplating lying to Matt. It wasn't that Mihael didn't want to tell Matt about what had transpired between him and Nate. It was just something Mihael himself had yet to completely process, and Matt's teasing wouldn't particularly help given the situation.

"He didn't let me in." Mihael lied. He realized a moment too late that perhaps lying wasn't exactly the brightest idea he'd had, not when evidence to the contrary was clearly visible on his skin, in the form of purplish-blue bruises. How the hell had he forgotten that tiny little detail, especially considering just how fixated Nate had been on his neck?

In an attempt to control the situation, Mihael abruptly let his hair loose, letting it cover the sides of his neck entirely. However, the action was a moment too late, because judging by the knowing glint in Matt's eyes, he'd already seen it. Mihael internally swore, bracing himself.

"He didn't let you in, huh?" Matt echoed, stepping forward, a sly smile on his face.

"Uh, yeah," Mihael answered, looking away. "You know how he can be."

"Nah man, I don't think I do," Matt smirked, crossing his arms across his chest. "For instance, I didn't think he was the kind to leave hickeys. Clearly, I was wrong."

Mihael felt his face heat up. "Th-that wasn't Nate!"

"Who was it, then? Because it sure as fuck wasn't Kiyomi." Matt stated confidently.

Mihael narrowed his eyes at Matt. "How can you be so sure?"

"Well, for one, I never noticed any hickeys on you when you were dating Kiyomi," Matt answered easily, "and two, you know you don't feel anything for her and even you're not that much of an asshole to go to her, _after you broke up with her,_ for a quick fuck. At least, I hope you're not."

"And you were calling me a detective," Mihael grumbled, sitting down heavily on his bed. "It wasn't Kiyomi." That was as close to an admission Matt was going to get. Mihael still wasn't ready to say it out loud. It still hadn't quite sunk in yet, despite the fact that he could still clearly feel Nate's lips against his, and Nate's fingers weaving through his hair. Almost subconsciously, Mihael brought his fingers up to his lips, smiling softly.

"You should see your face right now," Matt commented, taking a seat on his own bed. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You look like a lovesick high-schooler." Pause, then, "tell me everything."

"There's nothing to tell," Mihael said dismissively. "I told him how I felt and we made out."

"I know that, _obviously,_ " Matt stared meaningfully at Mihael's neck before bringing his gaze back to his face, "but what did _Nate_ say? You know, when you told him how you feel? What _do_ you feel for him, anyway? I never could quite tell."

"I like him, Matt. It's not that hard to understand." Mihael pointed out.

"It just always felt like something more to me," Matt said, shrugging. "'Like', as a word, feels a little too _casual?_ And you're anything but casual about your feelings for Nate."

"Just what are you implying, Matt?" Mihael inquired, surprisingly calm. "That I'm in love with Nate? Well, I'm not. Not yet, anyway."

"So it's a possibility, then?"

Mihael sighed, throwing himself backwards until the upper half of his body was lying flat on the bed, while his feet remained firmly planted on the ground. "I don't know, Matt! Maybe, maybe not? I don't exactly know what our relationship's going to be like! I mean, ideally, when two people feel the same way about each other, they date. But this is Nate we're talking about! He didn't even so much as vocalize his feelings for me. The only reason I knew it's reciprocated is because he kissed me back."

It only then occurred to Mihael just how much this had been bothering him, without him even realizing. It felt good to voice his concerns out loud.

Matt let out an exaggerated sigh, making Mihael scowl. "Just clear it out with Nate the next time you see him."

Mihael didn't say anything. He'd be seeing Nate tomorrow, or at least he hoped he'd be. Even after everything that had happened, Mihael wasn't sure where they both stood. Matt was right, of course. He did need to talk to Nate, in _person._ He'd just have to make sure Nate did, indeed, show up tomorrow for his meeting with Halle, and after that, he'd have a chance to talk to him.

It was a simple enough plan, nothing too difficult to carry out.

Relaxing somewhat, Mihael reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, quickly dialing Naomi's number. He waited for a few rings before Naomi answered. "Mihael?" She sounded confused.

"Hey, uh, I needed to ask you for a favor," Mihael said. "I'm assuming Halle Lidner informed you about my meeting with her tomorrow?"

There was a pause before Naomi spoke. "Yeah, she did. It was kind of surprising, considering I hadn't scheduled anything with her."

"Yeah, well, I filled Nate in on it, too," Mihael informed her. "I just wanted you to make sure he shows up for the meeting, too."

"Why?" Mihael could swear he detected a hint of teasing in her voice.

"Because he's the one who'd set it up in the first place, when I, you know…" Mihael trailed off.

"Was that the meeting you screwed up?" Naomi asked in interest. "The one that pissed Nate off so much that he contemplated transferring the contract to me?"

"Yeah-wait! What do you mean, 'contemplated'?" Mihael questioned, eyebrows furrowing. "I thought it was a done deal, that you were officially my agent."

"Nah, nothing's official. He still hasn't transferred the contract to me. I suspect he didn't really want to." Naomi answered.

"So that means he's still officially my agent!" He murmured, more to himself. He then found himself grinning stupidly at the realization. "Thanks, Naomi!" He said excitedly. "Just make sure he shows up tomorrow, please?"

"Sure," Naomi laughed. "Bye, Mihael."

Mihael ended the call and set his phone down, staring up at the ceiling. "You're such an asshole, Nate." He muttered to himself, but despite his words, there was a fond smile playing on his lips.

* * *

"I still don't see why I have to be present," Nate complained as he followed Naomi into the studio. "You're his agent, not me."

"For the last time, Nate," Naomi began, almost impatiently, "I'm not officially his agent. That's still you. And besides, he said he wanted you there. I had no reason to deny him such a simple request."

"Of course he wants me there," Nate muttered under his breath just as Naomi began walking once more. Nate had thought about it all day, and he'd come to the conclusion that he wouldn't attend the meeting, for the simple reason that he wasn't ready to face Mihael yet, hadn't given himself enough time to mentally prepare. He hadn't thought about what he'd say to Mihael, wasn't sure he'd even be able to get one word out without getting flustered.

But then Naomi had showed up at his office and demanded to know if he was busy. Nate's first instinct had been to lie, that yes, he had a client to attend to, but then he'd instantly discarded the idea. Naomi would've called him out on it easily.

"You're accompanying me for Mihael's meeting, since you're still his agent, and this was originally a meeting you'd gotten for him," she'd said brusquely. "I'm not taking no for an answer."

"You're his agent now." Nate had tried to reason with her, but she'd simply ignored him. He wasn't even sure why he'd tried, if he was being completely honest. He knew it was futile. In some ways, reasoning with Naomi was a lot like reasoning with Mihael, except Mihael was more prone to emotional outbursts, while Naomi shut you down with a stronger argument, which logically just made more sense.

"If you don't want to accompany me, you're going to have to make the whole thing official, Nate," Naomi insisted, gaze softening. "I know you don't want to do that."

Nate had had no response to it. There'd been no point in trying to deny that fact. He wasn't willing to give Mihael up as his client. Whatever his relationship ended up being with Mihael, Nate knew with certainty that he wanted to continue working with him. And just like that, Nate had given in to Naomi.

And now here he was, making his way through the studio, heart thudding in anticipation as he and Naomi came to a halt in front of Halle's room. He could hear the faint sound of music drifting towards him. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized the song. Mihael was already waiting inside for them.

For _him_. Fuck.

Breathing deeply, Nate waited for Naomi to open the door and enter. He followed slowly after her, deliberately keeping his gaze fixed on the back of her head, and once they were completely inside, he shifted his attention to Halle Lidner, who, much to Nate's immense relief, stood nowhere close to Mihael.

"Hello, Miss Lidner." Nate greeted her. From his peripheral vision, he caught sight of Mihael looking straight at him. Swallowing nervously, Nate forced himself to keep his gaze fixed on Halle, waiting for her response.

Halle smiled kindly at him. "Hi, Nate. I wasn't aware you'd be joining us, too. I thought you weren't Mihael's agent anymore?" She then looked at Mihael, or that's where Nate assumed she'd looked. It wasn't like he was going to follow her gaze just to confirm. "That's what Mihael told me, anyway."

Nate stood rigidly on the spot, unable to come up with a suitable answer. There was nothing he could say that wouldn't make him want to hide his face in shame.

Naomi, fortunately, took pity on him and said, "I made him tag along, since he didn't have much to do today. I hope you don't mind?"

"Of course not," Halle assured, gesturing at a vacant couch. "Please, take a seat and then we can begin."

Nate glanced at the couch and paused. It was the couch right opposite Mihael's. If Nate sat there, he'd be forced to meet Mihael's gaze, and he still wasn't ready for that. "Uh, I'll just...stand here." He said awkwardly, gesturing for Naomi to go ahead.

Halle shrugged, not pushing the matter. She then looked at Mihael. "Alright, Mihael, you can start whenever you're ready."

Nate was tempted to look at Mihael then, but he couldn't, unless he wanted to embarrass himself in front of everyone. And so he looked down to his feet just as Mihael began playing his guitar. Nate tried to place which song Mihael was playing, scrunching his face up in concentration. But try as he might, he couldn't recognize the chords. This wasn't a song Nate had heard before.

With sudden dread, Nate realized that Mihael was about to play a song neither he nor Halle were familiar with. Was he insane? Why was he risking everything and treating this meeting as his guinea pig? What if Halle didn't like this song? What if he completely ruined his chances of signing a deal with them, simply because he decided he wanted to 'test out' his new song? What if—

" _When I first met you, I'd never have thought there'd come a day, when you'd mean so much to me,_ " Mihael's voice drifted through the room, halting all of Nate's thoughts. Despite himself, Nate found himself looking at Mihael. His eyes were closed as he sang, and Nate couldn't stop staring at his face.

" _It's funny how we ended up this way, one moment I couldn't stand you, the next I wanted to hold you,"_ Mihael continued singing, and Nate's eyes widened just as Mihael looked at him, holding his gaze. Either he was imagining it, or the lyrics for Mihael's song seemed to be mirroring their own relationship. He continued listening, focusing intently on the lyrics.

As Mihael sang through the chorus, Nate knew for certain that this song was definitely about them. He felt his cheeks heat up at the realization, and through it all, Mihael held on to Nate's gaze, preventing him from looking away.

" _...and if I could change it all, I'd change nothing at all. I'm not sorry I met you, and I'm not sorry that I might be falling in love with you."_ Mihael sang, and just as he reached the last line in the chorus, he stared meaningfully at Nate and Nate's heart nearly stopped. He quickly averted his gaze from Mihael, hoping Mihael didn't catch the way he was blushing. No, there was no way this song was about Nate. It had to have been a mistake. There's no way Mihael meant any of those words for Nate. At least, Nate didn't believe they could be.

Mihael eventually reached the end of the song, the chords slowing down until they stopped entirely. There was light applause from everyone, including Nate, even though he couldn't quite meet Mihael's gaze.

"So," Mihael said, and Nate wasn't sure just who he was addressing. "How was it?"

"It was beautiful," Naomi said. "It felt... _personal,_ if that makes sense?"

"That's kind of what I was going for," Mihael answered, "especially since the song's based off personal experiences."

"I liked it," Halle spoke up, tone formal, "I think I could sign you on for a single record deal."

Nate's head snapped up to look at Halle, eyes widening in disbelief. "What?" Mihael and Nate both exclaimed in unison. A second later, the two exchanged brief glances, before Nate quickly redirected his attention to Halle. "Are you serious?" He asked, calmer.

Halle nodded. "It's just one record deal, so it's not a big risk we're taking. If his album sells, we might consider extending his contract with us."

"That's…" Mihael trailed off, still in awe.

Nate couldn't resist looking at Mihael and smiling at him. "It's wonderful, yes." The words were out before he could stop them. Mihael glanced at Nate in surprise. It was the first time Nate had directly spoken to him, since he'd entered the room.

Slowly, Mihael smiled back. "I don't believe it."

"Well, you better do," Halle said. She looked at Nate. "I'll have the contract sent over to your office in a couple of days?"

"Uh," Naomi awkwardly cut in, "you'd be sending it to me, since I'm Mihael's agent." She then looked at Nate questioningly. "Unless you've changed your mind?"

Nate shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Er, you can send the papers to me." This, to Halle. To Naomi, he said, "yes, I've changed my mind."

Naomi grinned at him, patting him lightly on the shoulder. "I knew you would."

Nate ignored her and quickly turned around and exited the room.

-x-

Nate had barely made it out of the studio building before Mihael caught up to him, grabbing hold of his arm and turning him around to make Nate face him.

Nate arched his brows in question.

"There's things we need to talk about, Nate," Mihael pointed out. "I'm done with you trying to avoid me, you know."

"I wasn't trying to avoid you," Nate mumbled, pulling his arm out of Mihael's grip. "I just have to get back to work."

"Naomi mentioned you don't have much to do today," Mihael stated accusingly, "don't lie to me, Nate."

Nate sighed in exasperation. "What do you want to talk about?"

Mihael looked around their surroundings, at all the people walking down the street. "You want to do this in public? I mean, I'm down for it, but I'm guessing you aren't, so…' he trailed off, looking at Nate curiously.

"I have my car…?" Nate offered uncertainly.

Mihael shrugged. "Works for me."

Nate began walking towards his car, Mihael falling into step beside him. The two remained perfectly silent on their way there, and it was oddly reminiscent of the time when Mihael had similarly walked Nate to his car. Except, things were slightly different back then.

Soon, they reached Nate's car. It was parked on the far end of the street, and there weren't any people around here, or any cars, for that matter. Nate unlocked the doors to his car and slid into the driver's seat. A moment later, Mihael slid into the passenger seat. The two just sat there, an awkward silence looming over them.

"So," Mihael finally spoke, "you never told me what you thought about the song."

"It was... _good,_ " Nate said, trying not to let his nervousness show. "I never heard it before."

"That's because I just recently finished writing it."

"You took quite a risk there, didn't you?" Nate questioned, looking at Mihael. "What if Halle hadn't liked it?"

"Nah, she'd definitely like it," Mihael said, slouching against the seat. Without any warning whatsoever, he reached out and took hold of Nate's hand, intertwining their fingers together. "It came straight from the heart, after all."

Nate felt his heart race, his face heating up. "R-right." He stammered out.

"Nate?" Mihael's voice was low, serious.

"Hmm?"

"I really like you."

Nate closed his eyes, willing his heart to calm down. At this rate, it was probably going to jump right out of his chest. "You've mentioned that." He said, feigning casualness.

"Will you go out with me?"

Nate looked at Mihael in shock. Had he heard that right? Was Mihael actually asking him out? He wanted to say yes so desperately, but— "I can't. It's unprofessional."

"Nate," Mihael's voice was now bordering on irritation, "cut that out. I don't care about professionalism, alright? I just want to be with you. Why is that so hard for you to understand? Besides, I don't think there's a law that states you can't date me."

"It's not that," Nate argued, forgetting his embarrassment for a moment, "I'll lose all objectivity when it comes to your career if I start dating you."

"No, you won't," Mihael said, squeezing their joined hands gently. "If you do, I'll make sure to knock some sense into you. At least trust me enough to know that I'll always do what's best for my own career, Nate. I'm not going to just blindly follow what you say, you know."

Nate remained silent at that. Mihael had made a pretty good point here. He was headstrong. If Nate ever acted out of jealousy, Mihael would definitely call him out on it, wouldn't he? There's no way he wouldn't.

"Nate," Mihael's voice was softer now, comforting. "Do you like me?"

"Of course I do," Nate whispered. "I wouldn't have kissed you back if I didn't."

"Then just say yes," Mihael pleaded, leaning forward. "Go out with me, Nate."

"Yes," Nate said it so softly that Mihael had to lean even further to hear it. "I'll go out with you."

Mihael smiled widely and before Nate could even begin to process what was happening, Mihael had tugged him forward and kissed him, lips moving against his.

Nate sighed against Mihael's mouth, throwing his arms around Mihael's neck and pulling him closer as he kissed him back. Nate wasn't quite sure if he'd ever get used to this, but he did feel his heart swell in happiness when Mihael wrapped his arms around his waist and nearly pulled him onto his lap.

"I like you so, so much," Mihael whispered against his lips, kissing the corner of his mouth softly.

Nate simply buried his face in Mihael's neck, hugging him close to his chest. It felt comforting to have Mihael so close to him, their hearts beating at similar rhythms, Mihael rubbing his hands up and down Nate's back softly.

"Thank you," Nate mumbled into his neck, "thank you for not giving up on me even after I acted like an asshole."

"You're thanking me for being a stubborn ass?" Mihael joked, burying his face into Nate's hair.

"Yes," Nate said, placing a light kiss to Mihael's neck. He felt Mihael's hold on him tighten.

"Please don't leave any visible hickeys, Nate," Mihael laughed breathlessly. "I'm not sure I'll be able to cover it all up with my hair."

Nate pulled away from Mihael then, his face turning impossibly red. "You left marks on me, too." He stated.

"Yes, which your shirt is obviously doing a good job of covering," Mihael answered, using one of his hands to tug at Nate's collar. "I was careful. For me, however, all I have is my hair, which isn't a very efficient way to cover up hickeys, you know?"

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Good," Mihael said, before leaning forward and capturing Nate's lips in a kiss once again.

* * *

"I still can't believe you two are official," Matt said, slinging his arm around Mihael's shoulders. "I mean, it just feels weird to think about, you know?"

"I could say the same about you and Linda." Mihael snapped, stepping out of Matt's half-embrace. Linda let out a small laugh at that. The three of them were presently standing outside Driane's cafe, waiting for Nate to arrive.

The plan hadn't been for Matt and Linda to be present, of course. But when Mihael had gone home and informed Matt about the success of his meeting, Matt had instantly pressed for them to celebrate later that night. Mihael had, of course, tried to reason with Matt, that he'd made plans with Nate. Matt had immediately suggested a double date with him and Linda. Mihael had been about to refuse, but then Matt had pulled the 'best friend' card on him and Mihael had given in. He figured it'd be a good way for him to familiarize Nate with his friends in a more intimate setting, considering he'd now officially be a part of Mihael's social circle.

But he may or may not have 'forgotten' to inform Nate of the slight change in plans, so he was just a little nervous about Nate's reaction to seeing Matt and Linda alongside him. Hopefully, Nate would understand.

"Why'd you pick Driane's, anyway? We could've picked something nicer, you know." Matt's voice broke through Mihael's thoughts. "I mean, I'm not saying Driane's isn't cool, it's just very... _basic._ "

"I like Driane's," Mihael defended, "and I picked it because of reasons." Mihael wasn't going to admit out loud that the reason he'd picked Driane's was because the first time he'd hung out with Nate, outside of his office, had been at this cafe. In a way, this cafe had sort of kick started their agent-client relationship, which had eventually grown into something much more intimate. He, of course, wasn't going to tell Matt that. He didn't want to get teased for being a sap, after all.

"Is that Nate's?" Linda pointed out.

Mihael looked up and sure enough, Nate's car had just pulled up across the street. Mihael felt himself smile, heart racing in anticipation as Nate exited the car, back facing Mihael. Without really thinking, Mihael took a step forward, and another, until he was crossing the street and heading straight for Nate's car.

Nate finally turned around, closing the door behind him. His eyes widened when he spotted Mihael approaching him, a blush adorning his normally pale face.

Mihael came to a halt just inches from Nate, eyes trailing over Nate's outfit before his lips tugged into a smirk. Nate was wearing a casual white polo shirt and light blue jeans. "I don't think I've ever seen you wearing casual clothes before."

Nate blushed a deeper shade of red, looking down at his feet. "I'm not at work, so…"

Mihael leaned forward, his mouth close to Nate's ear as he whispered, "I also don't think I've ever seen you get so flustered before."

"This is all very new to me." Nate murmured.

Mihael smiled and placed a soft kiss to Nate's cheek before pulling away and putting some distance between them. "Come on, Matt and Linda are waiting for us."

Nate furrowed his brows in confusion. "What? I thought this was a... _date?_ " The last word was uttered very softly, but Mihael heard it all the same.

"Well, it is," Mihael began, laughing nervously, "it's just a _double date?_ I'm sorry, I know I should have told you sooner but I was worried you'd refuse and I just really wanted you to show up."

"Mihael, I hardly know them," Nate insisted, frowning. His eyes moved to the cafe across the street and there were Matt and Linda, talking to each other. "It'll be awkward for me."

"No, you'll have me for company," Mihael pointed out, "and besides, it's not like you've never hung out with us before. I'll make sure you're comfortable, I promise."

Nate still looked unsure and so Mihael reached forward and held Nate's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "If it gets to be too much, there's always alcohol to help calm your nerves. That's usually what I go for." Mihael suggested.

"I know that quite well," Nate commented, a sly smile tugging at his lips. Mihael scowled at him. "If it gets to be too much, I'll let you know, I suppose."

"Yeah, if it's too much, we'll excuse ourselves and leave, okay?" Mihael conceded. Nate simply nodded at that. Mihael smiled softly, leaning forward and kissing Nate on the cheek once more. "Let's go, then."

-x-

Mihael was buzzed. That's something two long islands would do to you. He was nowhere near done, of course. He knew he could easily go for another drink, considering he was still in all of his senses.

They had decided to sit in the lounge, instead of the regular cafe seating. It was ironic, considering just months ago, Mihael had sworn he'd never be seen sitting with Nate in the cafe's lounge, because of its intimate lighting and set up.

And now here they were, Nate sitting next to Mihael on the couch, holding some sort of conversation with Matt and Linda. But Mihael wasn't paying attention to what they were saying. All he could focus on was Nate's face, calm and relaxed and somewhat flushed, the result of the alcoholic drink he'd been sipping on. He was making a sincere effort in trying to get along with Mihael's friends, despite his discomfort. Mihael smiled, suddenly overwhelmed by his feelings for this odd man sitting so close to him, their thighs almost touching and talking animatedly.

Still smiling, Mihael downed the rest of his drink and slouched in his seat, draping his arm over the back of the couch, his fingers idly catching in Nate's hair. Beside him, he felt Nate suddenly stiffen at the gesture. Mihael smirked at that, lightly weaving his fingers through Nate's hair as he shifted closer to him.

Matt, apparently, must have caught on to Nate's discomfort because he suddenly looked at Mihael, smiling slyly. "You wanna keep it in your pants, man. We're in public."

Mihael bristled, not moving his fingers from Nate's hair. "I'm not doing anything inappropriate, you dick."

Nate coughed awkwardly, leaning his body forward slightly under the pretense of grabbing his glass and downing his drink in one go. He immediately let out a series of coughs as the alcohol burned through him. Mihael abruptly dropped his hand from Nate's hair to his back, patting it firmly. "You okay?" He asked, concerned.

Nate nodded, his eyes watering slightly. "I shouldn't have done that." He grumbled.

Mihael simply laughed, wrapping his arm around Nate's shoulder as he pulled him close, placing a kiss to his hair.

"Mihael!" Nate protested, squirming out of his grip.

Mihael simply blinked up at him innocently.

Nate shook his head, blushing furiously as Matt and Linda looked at the two in amusement. "I need another drink." He muttered.

"Don't you have to drive back home?" Linda questioned him.

"Mello and I have an arrangement," Matt answered instead. "If both he and Nate get too drunk, Nate will leave his car behind and I'll drive us all home, obviously. If only Nate gets drunk, Mello will drive Nate home in Nate's car, and if Mello gets too drunk, Nate will drive him home, if they want to spend more time together, otherwise Mello will ride with us."

"And what if you _all_ get too drunk?" Linda countered, narrowing her eyes at Matt.

"Then, my darling," Matt said easily, leaning forward and kissing Linda's cheek, "you'll drive us all home."

Linda flushed. "I don't have my car."

"You'll just use my car," Matt replied, taking a sip of his beer. "Don't worry, it's all worked out. It's why I made Mello leave his bike behind."

Linda rolled her eyes and brought her gaze back to Nate. "I hope you're having a good time, Nate."

"Yes, I am." Nate nodded with a slight smile, glancing at Mihael. He was absentmindedly trailing his fingers up and down Nate's arm, making goosebumps erupt on his skin. The moment Mihael met his gaze, however, he smiled and slid his arm around Nate's waist, pulling him closer.

-x-

By the end of the night, neither Mihael nor Nate were nearly half as drunk as they'd thought they'd be. The only one completely wasted was, to no one's surprise, Matt. He stumbled out of the cafe with Linda holding on to him firmly, an irritated look on her face.

Mihael and Nate walked behind them, shoulders brushing against each other's. "Thanks for making an effort with, you know, my friends." Mihael told him sincerely.

Nate shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "It's no problem."

Mihael went silent, focusing his attention on Matt instead. He snorted when Matt lost his footing and collapsed on the hard concrete, Linda instantly dropping to her knees and trying to pull him up. Mihael nudged Nate with his elbow, still laughing. "Does that seem familiar to you, Nate?"

Nate followed his gaze and scowled, kicking Mihael's leg with his foot. "Shut up."

Mihael laughed harder. "You're cute when you're drunk, you know?"

Nate said nothing, but his scowl did somewhat fade at the unexpected compliment. They finally came to a halt in front of Nate's car, while Linda continued tugging Matt towards his own car.

Mihael and Nate both looked at her struggling form. "So…" Mihael began.

"You should go help her out," Nate said, brows furrowed in concern. "He looks to be a handful."

"He is," Mihael agreed, frowning himself. "Is it okay with you?"

Nate nodded slowly, suddenly feeling extremely awkward. "I'll see you later, I guess."

Mihael looked at him strangely before he said, "yeah, I'll see you."

No one quite knew who moved first, but the next thing they knew, they were kissing and Nate had his hands buried deep in Mihael's hair while Mihael's hands trailed up and down Nate's sides, sighing into the kiss.

Just as suddenly as it had begun, though, it came to an end. Mihael pulled away from Nate's lips, instead resting his forehead against Nate's, breathing heavily. "Goodnight, Nate. I had a really good time tonight." He whispered, placing a small peck on Nate's lips.

"Goodnight," Nate murmured, leaning forward and pressing his own lips to Mihael's, completely catching him off-guard. It was probably the first time Nate had initiated a kiss.

The two broke apart, eyes still locked onto one another's for a moment longer, before Mihael finally turned around and jogged over to Linda and Matt.

* * *

 **Two Weeks Later**

Nate sat at one of the front-row tables, foot tapping nervously against the wooden floor. They were currently at the Hard Rock cafe, attending Robert Fischer's concert, the first of many throughout the city, and the country itself. But Nate couldn't care less about Robert's performance, despite the fact that Robert was his ex-client.

No, Nate was more concerned about Mihael, who was meant to be opening for Robert, and who was presently backstage, rehearsing with his band. On Nate's insistence, Mihael had decided to stick with 'The Delinquents' and establish a relationship with them, so he wouldn't always have to meet new bands whenever he needed to perform, and eventually, they'd both signed a contract, making them Mihael's official backup band.

"Why don't you just go backstage and check up on him?" Matt suggested, a glass of beer in front of him.

"He's rehearsing," Nate replied snappishly, "I don't want to disturb him."

"No, he's not," Matt said. At Nate's questioning gaze, he sighed and pointed at the bar. "Those are his band members, right there."

Nate looked towards the bar, and sure enough, the four members from 'The Delinquents' were sitting on stools, sipping on a drink or two. Nate frowned. "They shouldn't be drinking before the performance."

"Oh, relax," Matt said dismissively, taking a large swig of his beer. "They're professionals."

Nate refrained from saying anything and instead got up from his seat, brusquely making his way backstage. He paused at the entrance, however, when he saw the scene in front of him. He immediately felt some of the blood drain from his face, leaving him rooted to the spot.

Takada was with Mihael, and the two seemed to be having some kind of conversation. Judging by their smiling faces and casual stances, it looked like a friendly one. Too friendly, in Nate's opinion, especially for two people who'd just recently broken up. They had broken up, right? Mihael hadn't lied to him about that. He was better than that.

As though sensing Nate's gaze, Mihael turned to look at him. His eyes widened momentarily before his face broke out into a huge, warm grin. "Nate!" He called out, waving him over.

Nate saw Takada go completely rigid at hearing his name and after quickly excusing herself to Mihael, she turned around and exited the backstage, not once looking up at Nate, even when she passed right by him.

Nate decided not to think too much about it and made his way over to Mihael. "What were you guys talking about?" He tried to keep his tone as neutral as possible.

"She was just here to wish me luck," Mihael answered, turning around and sitting down on one of the chairs. He looked up at Nate, who still stood some distance away, and frowned. "I'd almost forgotten she works here."

Nate didn't quite know what to say to that, so he said nothing. Instead, he took a few steps towards Mihael, his knees brushing against Mihael's.

"You here to wish me luck, too?" Mihael smirked.

"I just came to see if you're doing alright," Nate muttered, unconsciously lifting one of his hands and resting it gently on Mihael's cheek, his thumb rubbing along the soft, warm skin. "Considering the last time you'd performed here, you literally froze on stage."

"That was different," Mihael grumbled. "I'm fine."

"Good," Nate murmured, thumb now moving in circles on Mihael's cheek. His gaze flitted down to Mihael's lips for a brief second before he brought it back to Mihael's eyes. There was a knowing look in Mihael's eyes that sent Nate's heart into overdrive, beating erratically against his chest.

"Yes," Mihael said suddenly, licking his lips briefly.

"Yes what?" Nate asked, confused by the seemingly random declaration.

"Yes, you can kiss me," Mihael clarified, a teasing smile on his lips. "You don't always have to wait for me to initiate it, you know."

Nate felt the blood rushing to his face and he stammered out a pitiful, "I-I never said I wanted to kiss you."

"Fine," Mihael conceded, that annoying smile still perfectly intact, " _I_ want you to kiss me. Is that better?"

"That's-that's not—," Nate tried, but was cut off instantly when Mihael's hand came to grip his tie, tugging him forward before sealing their lips together in a slow, sensual kiss.

It's not like they hadn't done this a lot in the two weeks that they'd been together, but it still always caught Nate by surprise, especially his own body's reactions to the kiss. Nate had kissed only one person before Mihael, and that had been Sayu. It had been a drunken moment between the two, back when Nate had still been trying to figure out his feelings for her. But even that didn't compare to what he felt with Mihael. With Mihael, Nate felt his entire body heat up with desire and the urge to be closer to him was overwhelming.

Mihael licked at the seam of Nate's lips, a silent request for him to open his mouth. Nate unthinkingly did as was requested, pushing himself closer to Mihael's body. At some point, Nate had climbed onto Mihael's lap and Mihael's arms slid around his waist, keeping him there.

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Almost immediately, Nate jumped up from Mihael's lap and backed away, trying to get his breathing under control. He turned to see Matt standing by the entrance, an amused smile plastered on to his face.

"Matt, you asshole," Mihael snapped, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "We were kinda busy."

"I'm sorry," Matt didn't sound sorry at all, "but I heard the announcement up front. They said they were beginning in ten minutes, so I just came to wish you luck. Clearly, Nate already had that taken care of."

"Ten minutes?" Nate echoed, face still somewhat flushed. He looked at Mihael seriously. "You should prepare yourself."

"Yeah," Mihael nodded, standing up. He then looked at Matt. "Thanks, man."

Matt walked over and pulled him into a hug, patting him roughly on the back. "You'll do great!"

"Thanks," Mihael laughed, pulling away. "I appreciate it."

"Yes, good luck," Nate said awkwardly, bringing his hand out to Mihael.

Mihael simply rolled his eyes and grabbed Nate's hand, pulling him into a hug instead. "Thank you," he whispered into Nate's ear before pulling away. "I'll see you in a while."

Nate nodded and followed Matt out the backstage, glancing over his shoulder once more at Mihael, who simply winked at him and waved his hand.

Nate smiled back, for once not embarrassed. He still couldn't believe this was the same man he'd detested all those months ago, and refused to sign on as a client, had believed incapable of ever making it big in this industry, someone, he'd been convinced, who would burn his reputation to the ground.

But he'd been wrong. He'd been so very wrong about. Mihael wasn't the sort of person who made the best first impression, but he was more the sort who tended to grow on you. It was in his voice, soft and warm and comforting, and his smile, that could honestly light up anyone's world and it was in the way he felt so strongly about things, the way he'd stubbornly refuse to give up on something, even when forced to.

In retrospect, Nate shouldn't have been surprised that things turned out the way they did. Mihael was a force to be reckoned with, and Nate never really stood a chance against someone like him. And Nate didn't really mind it, if he was being completely honest.

It was just like the words in Mihael's song. He wasn't sorry he met Mihael, and he definitely wasn't sorry that he'd fallen utterly and irrevocably in love with Mihael, even if he'd yet to say it out loud to him.

But something inside of Nate truly believed that Mihael already knew that which he hadn't said, just as he was certain that Mihael felt the same way as him, even if he'd only ever vocalized it in the form of a song.

Because for now, that was more than enough.

 **Fin.**

* * *

 **A/N: I was supposed to write an entire song for TMF, but because my lyrical talent is practically non-existent, I could only manage a few lines. Sorry about that. Feedback is super appreciated! Man, I sure as hell am gonna miss this fic, but at the same time, it's on to better things now. I might rewrite this sometime in the future, but for now, this is it. TMF has ended. It's been a great one year, honestly. Once again, thank you so much for all your support!**


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